


A Very Reyux Christmas

by HattoriPornzo



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alpha Rey (Star Wars), Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Parents, Bee!Hux, Breeding, Bugs & Insects, Christmas, Christmas Presents, Christmas Smut, Christmas Vacation, Come Marking, Doggy Style, F/M, Family Feels, Fireplaces, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Furry nonsense, Gluten Shenanigans, Gotta talk to my therapist about it, Honey Dick, Hot Tub, Humor, Inspired by Folgers "Home for the Holidays" Commercial, Kissing, Marriage Proposal, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mistletoe, Morning Sex, Mosurey, Moth!Rey, Omega Armitage Hux, One Shot Collection, Peter Rabbit AU, Pregnancy Kink, Reyux kids, Reyuxmas 2018, Romance, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room, Sibling Incest, Skiing, Smut, Snow, Snowball Fight, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Virgin Rey, Woman on Top, cozy vibes, it was only a matter of time, kinda? idk I think about cum a lot, tiny bug people doin' it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-09-18 09:05:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16992102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HattoriPornzo/pseuds/HattoriPornzo
Summary: The Scavenger and The General in twelve different holiday themed stories.Merry Reyuxmas 2018! Lengths range from drabbles to oneshots. Rating and prompts in the chapter titles. <3





	1. Food (T)

Sometimes, Hux really didn’t understand how he and his girlfriend ever got together. They were obviously two very different people, as evidenced by her behavior on this Christmas morning. Because this…this is something he never would have thought to do. But Rey’s mind worked in, well...special ways.

“Ta-da! Merry Christmas,” she sang triumphantly as he groaned and blinked his eyes blearily up at the ceiling, the morning light made even more blinding by the snow outside their window.

“What time is it?” he moaned, pressing his hand to his eyes. He was so cold. He realized she wasn’t beside him. He’d gone to sleep cozy and warm with his girlfriend wrapped around him and now he was cold and alone in their bed.

“6 a.m.,” she replied cheerfully. He scowled, peeking an eye open at her. She sat by the side of the bed with her hands on her knees, looking at him with a wide, expectant smile. Heaving a sigh, he propped himself up on his elbows. 

A piece of bread slid off his chest. He blinked.

Well, one question was answered. He was cold because she’d pushed the blankets off of him, leaving him in nothing but his birthday suit. However, he now had an even bigger mystery on his hands.

“Rey…,” he said as patiently as possible, “My darling. My _dove_. Why have you covered my body with slices of bread?”

“I thought it would be Christmas-y!” she beamed at him. He stared at her, now deeply concerned for his girlfriend’s mental well being.

“Rey, why on _earth_ would you find this ‘ _Christmas-y_ ’?” he growled, copper brows coming together dangerously as his temper began to rise, unhappy with the prospect of cleaning breadcrumbs out of their bead first thing in the morning. Especially when he’d been so looking forward to their annual Christmas morning shag.

“Because,” she grinned gleefully, almost unable to contain herself, “Now you’re a _ginger bread man_.” Hux’s jaw fell open as he blinked at her several times, exaggeratedly slow. 

In an instant, the bread scattered across the bed and all about the floor as he shot out of the bed. She let out a loud squeal as she took off running, her very much naked boyfriend hot on her heels.

He finally caught up to her in the living room where he scooped her up into his arms, both of them tumbling to the ground in front of the tree. 

Cleaning up breadcrumbs would have to wait. For now, he had a Yuletide spanking to dole out.


	2. Scarves (G)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This fic takes place in the office. You know. The big company office. With the desks and the manila folders and the paper clips. Where very important business is done. On computers, probably. We assume there is a Susan in accounting.

Armitage Hux hates the holidays. He really does. With no family ties he considers worth investing in, they’re nothing but a nuisance to him. He has to fork over thousands of dollars in employee bonuses, the streets are overly crowded with tourists and shoppers, and worst of all, that insipid _jingling_ music follows him wherever he goes.

But his new secretary’s sentiments towards Christmas, he’s noticed, couldn’t be farther removed from his own. Immediately after Thanksgiving, she had red and green decorations on her desk. All month long, she’d shown up for work in festive cardigans and dresses and jewelry. She even single handedly decorated the entire office, it seemed, and stocked the break room with hot cocoa. The other employees loved it. Loved _her_.

And why shouldn’t they? She was a ball of sunshine. She even had a sunshine-y name. Rey. And he was as head over heels for her as the rest of them.

Not that he’d done anything to let her in on that bit of information. When he walked into the office on December 1st, the halls all decked with boughs of holly, she’d smiled at him warmly, eagerly, almost. He merely grunted and marched to his desk, trying not to think about kissing those smiling pink lips of hers.

From the day she showed up to work there, in her little pencil skirt and heels, he’d made it a point to exchange pleasantries with her as little as possible. Some days, he was downright cold to her. It was easier that way. If he pretended to ignore how much she affected him, eventually he’d get over it. 

He’d seen her seamlessly acquire new friends in nearly every department. She was included in their Friday night pub crawls and parties. She’d laugh at jokes Dameron made at the water cooler and talk animatedly with Rose Tico at the copy machine about her weekend plans. She was a recent college grad who enjoyed yoga and rock climbing and ran marathons. She’d recently adopted a shelter dog named BB and had pictures of him on her desk.

No one like that would want anything to do with someone like him. And so, he found himself the way he did every holiday season. A man in his early thirties without a family of his own to go home to, ready for all this Christmas business to be over.

Pulling on his dark, woolen overcoat, he grabbed his car keys from his desk and pondered what kind of dinner he’d make when he got home. The entire company had an extended break for the holidays and he wouldn’t be back to work before Tuesday so he’d made sure to stock up his fridge.

He locked his door behind him and the moment he turned around, he was surprised to find Rey standing there with a nervous smile.

“Ms. Niima,” he gulped, gloved hands clenching tight, “I thought you’d gone already.” 

She was wearing a deep red velvet dress today. It hugged her curves and showed enough cleavage that he’d had a difficult time focusing. He made a concerted effort to look her in the eye and nowhere else.

“Oh, not yet. I’m actually heading to the party right now,” she beamed. His brow furrowed and his lips parted in confusion before he remembered. The office Christmas party. Every year, the entire staff gathered at the hotel across the street and made holly jolly fools of themselves late into the night. He avoided it like the plague. It did explain the dress, though.

“Ah,” he huffed, “Well, then, please don’t let me keep you.” He nodded in parting and moved to leave when she stopped him.

“Aren’t you going?” she asked with a little gasp. He held in a grimace at the sweetly soft noise. It made him want to knock every damn knick knack from her desk and ravish her right there.

“No,” he coughed, shifting uncomfortably, “I never do.” She seemed to deflate at the information, her shoulders sagging, and suddenly, he felt a deep pang of guilt.

“Oh,” she said dejectedly, “That’s too bad. I thought maybe we could walk over together.” His eyebrows rose towards his hairline as he stood taken aback at her words, his jaw going a little slack. 

“Well,” Rey sighed with a sad shrug, “at least let me give you your present before you go.” She held out a green gift bag he had hardly noticed before, too determined on not lowering his gaze past her collarbone. He took the gift from her slowly, totally mystified by what should be a perfectly normal act. The fact that it was _for him_ made it even more surprising.

She smiled at him expectantly, tucking a lock of auburn hair behind her ear as a flush rose to her cheeks. He wondered if he was hallucinating all this. Maybe he wasn’t even in his office right now. Maybe he was lying in a hospital bed, dying of a debilitating fever.

Morbid suspicions aside, he reached into the package with less than his desired level of grace. It was mortifying how awkward he’d suddenly become but in his defense, he was very much caught off guard here.

He pulled out something knit, made of a rich blue wool. Hux’s wardrobe was almost entirely black. He found it gave him a commanding presence. But he knew right away he’d be wearing this simple gift every day for the rest of the winter season.

“It’s a scarf,” she said softly, fidgeting with her fingers. “I- well, I knit, you see.”

“You _made_ this?” he murmured, his voice breathy and disbelieving. He lifted his eyes from the scarf and found her looking right at him from beneath her eyelashes. The pink tinge on her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose made her freckles stand out.

“You’d look good in a little color,” she offered, "I thought blue would go well with your eyes." He latched onto each of her words, their sound reverberating in his head along with his heart beat. He swallowed thickly.

“I-,” he shook his head, “I didn’t buy you anything- I don’t have a gift for _you_ -”

“You did, though,” she quickly interrupted, blinking at him. He stared back at her in confusion for a moment before he realized she meant the coffee mug he’d given her the day before. It was a cheap little thing with the company logo on it. The same gift he’d given every secretary he’d ever had. In no way did it compare to what she’d given him. He winced, officially wanting to sink into the ground now.

“Here,” she hummed, taking the scarf from him. She moved closer and reached her arms up, hanging it around his neck, and the apple and cinnamon scent of her perfume wafted up to his nose and _God_ , what he wouldn’t give to gather her into his arms and worship her. This was it. He was done for.

The scarf was soft and heavy around his neck, far more cozy and comforting than it had any right to be. He was sure it must have taken hours to make. 

“Thank you,” he murmured back, finding he was now hopelessly lost in the hazel depths of her eyes. And that her hands still lingered on the scarf. A beat passed between them before she stepped away and he had to hold himself back before he followed her. 

“Merry Christmas, Hux,” she whispered. He watched as she gathered up her coat from her desk and headed for the door. She only made it another step before he called out to her.

“Rey,” he said, far too loud and sudden, causing her to jump. He cringed and cleared his throat, composing himself before speaking at a more acceptable volume.

“Do you have plans for the evening?” he asked hopefully, his throat bobbing. She gave him a strange look and he hoped to high heaven he wasn’t reading something into the situation that wasn’t really there.

“Uh…I’m- I’m going to the party,” she reminded him gently, gesturing vaguely towards the door. He pursed his lips, screaming internally. _You idiot._

“Right. Yes. Of course. Forgive me, I thought perhaps-,” he stopped as she tilted her head curiously at him, licking her cherry red painted lips. His eyes followed the motion, bewitched. Who was he kidding?

“Actually, no. _No_ ,” he corrected, straightening his stance and squaring his shoulders. “Thank you for the scarf. I like it. Very much. And I'd like to make you dinner. Tonight. Or any night. If you care to join me.”

Her eyes widened as he moved to stand beside her, looking down at her imploringly. She blinked up at him a moment, eyelashes fluttering, before slowly nodding her head. 

“Okay,” she answered plainly.

“Okay?” he asked, a part of him sure that she would refuse and hardly believing she’d agreed. His eyes scanned her face skeptically for any sign proving otherwise.

“Okay,” she replied with certainty. The corners of her mouth turned up gently and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling back. He helped her into her coat and they walked out together, his hand on the small of her back.

Maybe he didn't hate the holidays so much after all.


	3. Gifts (G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to London, who loves canonverse Reyux. Thank you for all the beautiful art and stories you give us. <3

For having been raised on Jakku, the little force user was surprisingly unbothered by the cold climate of Starkiller. Or at least she put on a good face. 

It had been some time since Kylo Ren had discovered her wasting away in the desert as a scavenger and brought her to Snoke to begin her training. Shackled and snarling, she had captured the attention of the composed General immediately.

Since then, Hux had tried his very best to focus on his work, but Rey was impossible to ignore. She seemed to be everywhere he went, always inspecting the base and observing the troopers. For someone so small, her presence in the cold hallways and command rooms seemed enormous to him.

She was strong, as well, and impossibly fierce. He had to give her that. He’d happened across the Knights of Ren sparring late one morning. Standing at the door, he felt transfixed as he watched her subdue them one by one, wielding her double ended lightsaber expertly to take down men twice her size.

Hazel eyes flashed towards him and shocked him, sending his feet back into motion. As he marched quickly towards the hanger he’d been headed to, he struggled to decipher why his heart was beating so quickly.

The thought lingered that she was stunning in black.

It was only a few days later that he discovered her apparent hobby. If it could even be called that.

Almost every day without fail, before retiring to her quarters, she would leave the base. Initially, he’d followed her out of suspicion, thinking she might be doing something to plot against Ren or The First Order.

But every day, she simply walked around, standing in the snow and looking up at the bleak sky. She’d touch the towering trees and pick up pine cones and inspect them or hold out her hands and watch snowflakes melt as they touched her skin.

Her clothes kept her warm enough, he supposed, though he’d see her cheeks flush red and her shoulders shiver slightly when she stayed out too long. Which led him to his current dilemma.

Hux stood outside the door to her quarters, jaw working as he struggled with himself. He lingered in front of her door so long that when it slid open, both of them were startled by the other’s presence.

“Oh, General,” Rey gasped softly, jumping back a bit. “I- I was just going-”

“For your walk,” he finished, “Yes.” Her eyebrows rose and he moved the coat he clenched tightly in his hands back and forth nervously. 

“You know about- you _spied_ on me?” Her tone suddenly became defensive. “I can walk around the base if I want! No one said I had to stay inside-”

“ _No_ ,” he rushed to explain, holding a hand up. “I- that’s not why I’m here.” She looked unsure, narrowing her eyes at him in confusion as she waited for him to continue. 

“I just thought you could use- _here_ ,” he huffed, shoving the greatcoat at her. “It’s made of gaberwool. It will keep you warm.” She looked between him and the large, black coat in her hands in shock before blinking and licking her lips tentatively. 

“I don’t have anything to pay you with,” she murmured, stroking the thick fabric between her thumbs.

“You-,” he huffed in frustration, his cheeks taking on a reddened color. “You don’t need to _pay_ me. It’s a _gift_. I _want_ you to have it.”

Her pink lips parted and closed several times as she stared at him, the wheels in her head obviously turning, Her eyes fixed on his. Slowly, she raised the greatcoat up to her face. He felt himself flush further as he realized the fabric must still smell of his cologne.

Hux had thought about going to the uniform supply and simply asking for an extra greatcoat but then he’d have to deal with questions. After all, only officers were given greatcoats and he had been allotted two. There was no reason to ask for a third. Resources were strictly regulated within The First Order.

“A gift,” Rey repeated quietly to herself, as if processing the word. Lifting the coat up, she slid her arms into it, pulling out her hair from the collar. He breathed a silent sigh of relief as she seemed to accept his offering. However, he quickly discovered he was unprepared for the effect seeing her dwarfed by his coat would have on him. He cleared his throat and squared his shoulders, embarrassed by the heat he could feel overtaking his features.

“Well, then, I’ll leave you to it,” he said as he turned on his heel to return to his own quarters for the evening.

“General,” she called out before he got too far, making him whirl back to face her, his heart suddenly leaping in his chest.

She seemed to hesitate a moment before asking, “Would you like to join me? On my walk?”

He swallowed and nodded, following her out to the exit. As his boot steps fell in time with hers, he registered in the back of his mind that this was the first time he’d ever given anyone a gift. At the time, he had no way of knowing that it was also the first gift she’d ever been given. Or that it would be the first of many between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q: What kind of cologne does Hux wear?  
> A: Space Burberry.


	4. Mistletoe (E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best part of waking up is sibling incest in your cup!

Snow drifted down gently from the sky as Armitage looked up at the ostentatious manor, decorated in only a smattering of “tasteful” strands of plain white lights. It was a poor imitation of holiday cheer, but that was par for the course for the Hux household. He clenched his suitcase handle tightly and with a resolute set to his jaw, climbed the steps to the front door. His heart thundered in his chest when he thought of what awaited him inside.

If anyone were to see what filled him with such trepidation, they might laugh when faced with the sweetly smiling freckle nosed girl whose presence he fretted over. Even more so when they discovered she was his own sister. But then, no one knew just what perturbed the elder Hux sibling about coming home so much.

Armitage was always somewhat of an unsociable boy and although he got along well enough with his school mates, he’d never felt true companionship until Rey was born. She would follow him around like a puppy and it didn’t take long for him to become utterly smitten. It wasn't until she turned sixteen that he would realize the extent to his feeling for her. 

He’d left for college three years prior and only returned home to see Rey and spend time with her. That spring break, he arrived to find their parents gone and the house empty. On her birthday. She ran down the stairs and crashed into his chest, sobbing in relief. 

He bought her a cake and watched her unwrap her presents- she insisted he’d only needed to get her one but he couldn’t resist the opportunity to spoil her. After making her dinner, he let her put on some horrible 80s film she adored. As she cuddled up against him, he pulled a blanket over her shoulder and somewhere in the space of bending his head down to press a quiet kiss to the top of her head, it struck him like an electrical shock. He was _sick_. She was sixteen and his _sister_. But as she snuggled further into his chest, he realized he couldn’t bring himself to pull away. 

Oh, yes, he loved his sister. More than any brother should.

He tried therapy. When that didn’t work, he tried distance. Immediately after graduation, he used his new Archeology degree to put as much space between him and Rey as possible. But even running away to another continent hadn’t helped. He thought of her constantly and the stress of being apart from the only person he’d ever really loved sank him into a deep pit of depression. When she called him and begged him to come home for Christmas, he found he could bear it no longer.

He stood on a front porch the thought he'd never see again and ran a hand over his stubble, sighing. Raising his first with more than a little apprehension, he rapped on the door sharply beneath the grand, lush wreath. Almost immediately, the door swung open and there she was, her eyes wide and adoring as if no time had passed at all.

His breath hitched in his throat. How had he ever survived _three whole years_ without her? He forced himself to return her smile, as though he weren’t completely devastated by being in her presence again.

“I must have the wrong house,” he joked softly with a huff, hardly believing how much taller Rey had grown since the last time he’d seen her. Some things never changed, though. She still clearly preferred her standard oversized t-shirt and his old sweatpants as pajamas.

“Sister?” she grinned, pointing at her face before throwing her arms around him with a laugh. He shook his head as he breathed in her scent and knew he was really home. 

“I missed you so much,” she sighed softly, her warm breath tickling his ear and sending a shiver down his spine. 

She pulled back and he noticed she seemed to blush a little as she peered up at him through her dark lashes and confessed with a small smile, “I waited up for you all night.”

He tensed, unsure of what to say as they walked into the house together, her arm curled around his own. “It’s a long way from West Africa,” he murmured, trying not to read too much into her words.

“Where are-,” he began to ask before Rey stopped him, already knowing his question.

“Holiday in Italy,” she grumbled. He nodded. Of course their parents wouldn’t be home. It would be too much to expect that they would be there to spend Christmas with their son after he’d been gone for three years.

The kitchen was quiet and cold, something he imagined to be atypical of most family kitchens on Christmas Eve. Still, as he walked in and the smell of coffee wafted to his nose, he breathed a deep sigh of relief.

“Real coffee,” he groaned gratefully, retrieving a mug from the pantry. Rey rolled her eyes with a smile. She would never understand how her brother preferred Folgers’ swill to the rarefied, cultivated beans of the Ivory Coast, _where he had just come from_ , but she knew he’d want a cup as soon as he walked in.

She hoped up onto the kitchen counter as he poured himself his steaming drink, chewing the inside of her cheek nervously. He flashed her a teasing smile and reached into his luggage, producing a smartly wrapped tiny box topped with a sparkling red bow.

“I brought you something from far away,” he said, handing her the Christmas gift. She beamed excitedly as she took the present from him but as she looked down at it, he saw her bite into her lower lip and pull the bow off the top. He watched in confusion as she pressed it onto his shoulder, her fingers trailing down the soft, rich blue wool of his sweater.

“What are you doing?” he rasped as he licked his lips uncertainly, searching her warm amber eyes.

Almost hesitantly, she whispered to him, “ _You’re_ my present this year.”

Those five words, spoken so quietly, made his heart race, thudding against his ribs. They would have been innocent, just a sweet gesture shared between siblings if it weren’t for the way they stared at each other now, the heat in her gaze all consuming.

Her hand moved slowly across the counter to where his own sat trembling beside his coffee mug, steam wafting up between them. His gaze wandered down to her red painted nails as her slender fingers slid over his large, pale hand. 

“I _missed_ you, Armie,” she murmured, twining her finger through his. Sea green eyes flickered up to meet her own and he found himself leaning in closer, drawn to her like a moth to a brightly burning flame.

“Rey…,” he breathed, all at once terrified and enraptured. This…this was not how brothers and sisters behaved. This was not how brothers and sisters _spoke_ , in hushed, pleading tones accompanied by longing gazes. 

And then he saw her glance up purposefully over his head. His eyes followed hers and he felt his throat grow tights as he saw what she was looking at. Right over the coffee maker was a bundle of mistletoe, tied in a sweet red ribbon.

“Did you…?” Armitage asked, swallowing hard. He'd wondered why she led him into the kitchen right away.

“I know why you left,” she whispered, grasping his hand tightly. Her other hand came up to cup his jaw and when he looked back at her, he could feel the hot pinpricks of tears behind his eyes. He had been so prepared to push away his feelings, to lock them away like they shameful secret he saw them as.

The tip of her nose ran along his cheek and he felt every word as she pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth, beseeching him. “Don’t run from me anymore. _Please_.”

The moment he broke was something he’d never forget. He always feared exactly this, had dreaded the day his resolve to stay far away from her finally crumbled. He thought it would be gut wrenching and terrible. But it wasn’t. It really wasn’t at all. 

Finally kissing her felt like falling into a comfortable bed after a long day, the tension he’d carried around for years melting instantly. His fingers found their way into her pretty auburn waves, her ponytail slipping loose. The aroma of the freshly brewed coffee and the taste of her lips overwhelmed his senses.

His mouth claimed hers soundly and sweetly as he poured all the love he had into the kiss, and he knew he was ruined. Nothing- _no one_ \- would ever compare to this.

“Bedroom,” she gasped into his mouth before sucking his lower lip between her teeth. He groaned deeply, mind hazy with the ecstasy of _her_. His arms wrapped around her lithe waist and she hooked her ankles together behind his back. 

He carried her through the house to his childhood bedroom, mouth hot and wet as he trailed kisses along her neck and shoulder. Slamming the door behind him with his foot, he dropped her into his bed carefully, kneeling over her like he wanted to cover her from the world, to keep her safe and right there with him forever.

Emerald met honey as their eyes collided and he swallowed nervously as he looked down at her. How many nights had he laid in this bed and dreamed of this? And now she was here, beneath him. She trembled like a leaf as he sighed and kissed her cheek.

“You’re shaking,” he breathed against her satin soft skin.

“I’m happy,” she answered, her hands exploring the expanse of his back. He pulled back to look at her. She looked so small under his shadow and suddenly, he felt a tremor of terror run through him. He rested his forehead against hers, blood and mind racing. 

“Are you sure, Rey?” he murmured, leaning his weight back on his bent knees so he could place his hands over her smaller ones where they lay by her head. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You could never hurt me,” she whispered, tilting her chin up to capture his lips again. He sunk into the kiss with a moan. He was alive for the first time, being born again into a brighter world. A kaleidoscope of sensations made new.

He gripped her hands tightly. The hands that always fit far too perfectly into his own. They could always be honest with each other with their hands pressed together like this. Skin on skin; emotions laid bare.

“I wasn’t running from you,” he admitted, kissing the little scar under her eye from when she fell from their apple tree. He could still hear her calling him to come hide with her in its branches. Even this little blemish was precious to him.

“I- I was afraid of _me_. I couldn’t trust myself around you. My feelings for you weren’t-”

Rey shocked him by pushing back against him to fix him with a sharp look.

“Don’t you _dare_ say this is wrong,” she said, the crack in her voice at odd with the ferocity of her words. She pulled her hands away, sliding them under his sweater and shirt to drag her fingertips across the trail of copper hair leading down to his cock.

“Tell me this doesn’t feel right,” she challenged him, sucking a bruising kiss onto the pale column of his throat. He drew in a harsh breath as her fingers travel up to brush over his chest and he knew what she was saying was true. Nothing had ever felt this right.

He leaned back on his knees and pulled his sweater and shirt off quickly, a deep blush already bleeding down his neck and onto his chest. She snapped into action, pulling off her own huge sleeping shirt, eyes and lips and hands hungry for him.

His brain nearly short circuited as he took in the sight of her rosebud tits, nipples pebbling in the cold air. With a moan, he descended upon her, drawing the tip of one into his mouth as his hands worked to pull down her pajama pants- _his_ pants.

“Little scavenger,” he murmured, breath hot against her gooseflesh skin. “Always taking my things.”

His large, blunt fingers brushed through her tawny curls and he groaned against her breast when he felt the slick that had gathered there.

“Slept in your bed, too,” she panted, raking her hands through his hair, rust colored peaks bending back between her fingers. “I’ve made myself cum so many times on these sheets I’ve lost count.”

“ _Fuck_ ,” he seethed, his thumb working her clit eagerly as he eased two fingers into her wet heat. As demanding as his hands were with her body, his mouth moved achingly tender over her breasts and collarbone, lavishing her with his love.

“So wet for me, sweetheart,” he moaned against her neck, “Can’t believe I get to touch you.” She whined high in her throat as she rocked her hips in time with his hand, her own hands scrabbling on his smooth, white marble back. Her fingers dug into his wiry muscle as his shoulder blades moved with every thrust.

“Please, Armie,” she gasped, “Want you. All of you.” He shook his head, mussed hair hanging down over his forehead. 

“No condoms,” he grunted, unable to resist rutting his cock against her slender thigh through his trousers. She slapped one hand under the pillow, searching frantically before pulling out a box of condoms. He looked down at her in surprise as he caught his breath.

“Condoms, mistletoe…you’ve put some thought into this, haven’t you?” he muttered, unzipping his trousers and shimmying them off of his hips.

“I told you I was up all night,” she murmured, eyes widening as he pulled down his boxers, revealing his pulsating cock, red with need and already dripping for her.

With an almost fascinated expression, she slid her hand along the silky smooth underside, tracing veins and bringing forth a strangled noise from the back of his throat. She looked up to see his face flushed, plush pink lips parting in awe. Circling her hand around his member, she gave him an experimental stroke, pulling the skin back to reveal his slicked cockhead. She spread the wetness around with her thumb, enjoying the needy sound that bubbled up from the back of her brother’s throat.

He reached out and grabbed her wrist, stilling her, and quickly took the box of condoms, rolling a latex sleeve onto his throbbing member. He couldn't take another second of teasing without going mad. He looked up at her once more, needing to know she was certain. She looked back, eyes shining and brimming with love.

He cursed under his breath as he pushed his tip through her folds, delighting in the gasping sound she made. Lining himself up with her, he bent down, cupping the back of her head and kissing her, his mouth slotting over hers in an assurance that spoke of undying love and promises of forever. _Only you. Always you._

He pushed in gently, the drag eased by her wetness. Bottoming out, he breathed a sigh against her temple. There was no going back. And he knew he would never want to.

She moaned, grinding her hips up against his, needing him desperately to _move_. And Armitage always spoiled his sister. 

With a low huff, he began thrusting into her slowly, working her open and getting her used to his size. Whining like a cat in heat, her little nails dragged down his back as her feet kicked against his sheets.

“Oh, Rey,” he groaned, reveling in the wet sound of his cock being sucked by her tight walls. “So perfect for me. So goddamn _tight_.”

He placed a hand against his headboard as he began to rock faster, the ridge of his cockhead catching against a delicious place inside her that had her squirming under his weight. She buried her nose against her brother’s chest, breathing him in deeply. The scent of safety and home and everything good. 

“’S my first time,” she mumbled, lost in the feeling of his body heat and the sensation of being absolutely _filled_.

He stilled above her for a moment before bending down to kiss her, slow and gentle. Then he pulled out of her slowly. She whined in protest until he flipped them so she was sitting in his lap. Lowering herself onto his cock, she sighed happily, hips wiggling and making him groan. When she was fully seated, he redoubled his efforts, spreading his hand over her lower stomach and rubbing circles around her straining clit. His other hand moved to her hip, helping her ride him.

“There,” he panted, “That’s it. _God_ , you’re gorgeous.” His hand traveled up from her hip to knead her bouncing tit and she leaned forward, doubling over him so he could lick and suck at the blushed tip of her breast. The new angle felt _incredible_ and she rode him faster, moans and mumbled pleas falling from her lips.

“Fuck, Rey,” Armitage groaned, his hips snapping upwards to meet hers. “Good girl. So good, riding big brother’s cock.”

The filthy words should have shocked her but they only served to increase her excitement, something deep inside her roiling at her polite, proper brother saying such things.

“Armie,” she mewled, “I’m- gonna,” she clenched around his length, her already tight sheath milking him, urging on his pleasure. He watched in awe as she came, liquid arousal dripping down from her cunt to coat both their inner thighs. She threw her head back, a mumbled string of cuss words and her brother’s name rising from her throat.

With a growling hiss, he rolled her onto her back, slamming into her and fucking her into the mattress he’d left behind along with his boyhood. He moaned deeply as he filled the condom, eyes practically rolling back into his head. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he vowed never to live without this feeling again. This was _euphoric_. He would never let anyone take her from him.

He stayed buried inside her as he peppered her face in lazy kisses, not wanting to leave her warmth. But knowing his arms would soon give out, he slid out as carefully as he could, wincing along with her when she made a soft noise of discomfort. He kissed her shoulder in apology before disposing of the condom and tucking them both under the heavy comforter. She nuzzled happily under his jaw. A perfect fit.

“I love you,” he whispered, nosing against her temple. 

“I love you, too,” she said with a hazy, contented smile. He traced lines between the freckles on her shoulder, each one representative of a summer spent together and the thought settled into his mind that she was made just for him, a bespoke dream made real. They belonged to one another.

“Merry Christmas,” she mumbled into his shoulder sleepily. Their fingers laced together, a symbol of completion. 

Downstairs, beside the mug of cold, forgotten coffee, underneath the carefully placed mistletoe, a key to a newly purchased apartment on the other side of the country sat in the box he’d wrapped with care. He’d tell her about it soon. Once they got some rest. He’d get a job, this time something closer than Africa, at a university or museum. Whatever let him be with her the most. She could keep going to school. They’d build a life together somewhere no one knew them.

But first, they were going to use the rest of those condoms and fuck all over their parents’ house.

"Merry Christmas, Rey," he whispered back, smiling genuinely for the first time in years.


	5. Snowman (T)

_Crunch._

Arkanis Prep was a miserable place to be at Christmas. But it was still a thousand times better than Hux Manor, which is how a certain ginger haired young man found himself sitting in the dining hall on Christmas Eve for the fifth year in a row. Alone.

_Crunch._

Which was fine, really. Being alone meant more time for studying. More time to plan his future. And more _quiet_ , which is just how Armitage Hux liked it. 

_Crunch._

His eye twitched.

There was a sort of comfort in the familiarity of it. Every December, the school would empty of students, except perhaps one or two who knew better than to get in his way. They would go to their warm hearths and homes and families and he would spend the holiday in the dining hall with his nose in a book. This was what he’d come to expect and if there was anything Armitage appreciated, it was a good, solid routine. No surprises.

That was why his current situation was so…vexing.

_Sluuuuurp._

“Excuse me,” he practically hissed from over the top of his book. The girl who’d deposited herself across from him looked up from her _generous_ meal. She had hazel eyes. A face dusted with freckles across the delicate slope of her nose.

“Must you sit _here_?” he asked, voice dripping with venom. She looked around the otherwise empty dining hall, the long tables devoid of anyone else but them. Looking back at him she shrugged and then bit into her apple again.

“You looked lonely,” she said, wiping the juice that dribbled from her lips with her sleeve. He stared at her as though she must only have two brain cells.

“Want some sugar for your tea?” she asked, glancing at the steaming cup of tea beside him as she pushed the sugar bowl towards him. 

“No…,” he said slowly, eyebrows furrowing. “I prefer it bitter.” She shrugged her shoulders and took an enormous bite of her toast.

“Suit yourself,” she said, wiping the crumbs from her hands noisily. “I’m Rey, by the way.”

He made a brief noise of acknowledgement before bringing his book back up to his face, hoping it would deter her from any further attempts at conversation. He knew who she was. Some charity case who’d been lucky enough to discover some distant relation to the Kenobi house. Apparently, the estate had provided for a private education. 

He’d seen her pause in the breezeways on the way to classes, staring out at the rain like a fool. It rained almost every day in Arkanis. Hardly a special occurrence, and yet she looked at it like the most breathtaking work of art. 

“You’re Hux, right?” she asked, heedless of the leather bound shield he held between them. He grunted in response.

“Is that short for something?”

He looked up to see her tilting her head at him curiously. He couldn’t remember the last time someone was this determined to converse with him. Oddly enough, he found himself responding.

“Hux is my family name. My given name is Armitage.” 

She wrinkled her nose, pink lips splitting into a grin and revealing dimples in her cheeks. Something about them made his breath hitch. 

“Armitage? That’s…unique,” she chuckled. And then something behind him seemed to catch her eye. 

Despite wanting very much to return to his reading a moment ago, he couldn’t help but follow her line of vision to the window.

“What is that? Ash? Flower petals?” she murmured, standing to get a better look at the fluffy white flakes falling from the sky. He looked at her, absolutely appalled.

“ _It’s. Snow._ ,” he told her, his posh accent clipping the words curtly. 

“Snow?!” she gasped, eyes widening with wonder. “That’s really snow?!”

“ _Where_ are you from?” He scoffed, narrowing his eyes at her bizarre behavior. She grinned shyly, suddenly realizing how silly she must sound.

“Well-yp, I’m from Jakku, Texas and it don’t snow there much, partner!” Rey exclaimed, doing her best imitation of the accent she’d grown up hearing. She considered throwing in a yee-haw but he was already looking at her as though she’d arrived in a U.F.O.

“They told me it didn’t snow here,” she giggled softly, reverting to her own accent.

“It does when it gets below freezing,” he murmured, still eyeing her strangely. “It started last night. I daresay there’s a fair amount on the ground now.”

Her eyes lit up, jaw hanging open slightly, and he felt panic as something in his chest clenched at the sweet expression. 

“Well, what are we in here for? Come on!” she squealed, rushing to take her tray to the trash. He balked at her.

“What? No. I’m, I’m not- why would you want me to…?” he stammered, blinking between her and the door and wondering how on earth he’d gotten into this situation. Going out into the cold when he’d had plans to…well, sit. And read. The point is, he had _plans_ and the idea of breaking them was entirely unappealing.

“It’s snowing. And it’s Christmas Eve,” she said, as if that explained everything.

He remained glued to his seat, crossing his arms and giving her a pouting look that said he wasn’t going to be getting up anytime soon. Her expression softened and she came over to stand beside him. His arms slackened a bit as he stared up at her, throat bobbing.

“Look, Armie-,” she sighed with a gentle smile.

“ _Armie_?!” he sputtered, indignant. She laughed and shook her head, sending her chestnut waves shaking. Suddenly, he thought he _would_ like to go outside, just to see what her hair looked like with snowflakes in it.

“I don’t know why you didn’t go home for the break,” she said, laying a hand softly on his arms that continued to mysteriously come uncrossed, “But no one really wants to be alone on Christmas.”

The way she said this, searching his eyes as she chewed her lower lip nervously, told him that just like him, she’d spent her fair share of Christmas alone. He swallowed thickly, sensing he was in danger with this girl.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, they met outside in the expansive courtyard with their winter coats on. The black wool coats emblazoned with their school crest on the breast were uniformly serious. She still managed to make it look cute and cozy, with an oversized cream colored scarf wrapped around her neck.

“This is amazing!” she gushed, twirling around in the lightly drifting snow. Firmly ignore the way his palms started to sweat in his leather gloves, he strode through the snow that had collected on the ground to a bench underneath a large elm tree.

Dusting off the ice covering the bench, he promptly sat down and pulled out his book again. He heard Rey make a whining, disappointed sound as she trudged over to join him. He huffed, finding the place he’d left off. 

He’d agreed to come outside- that was it. It’s not like they were going to go tobogganing, for goodness’ sake. She sat beside him on the bench, fidgeting and kicking her shoes through the snow. 

Holding out her mitten covered hands, she watched as snowflakes caught on the thick, brightly colored fabric and slowly melted, observing with child like curiosity. Armitage tried very hard to pay attention to the words on the page, although he continually found himself glancing over at her and needing to reread the same sentence over and over again.

“Sooo…,” she hummed, drawing random patterns in the snow gathered on the bench between them. He thought maybe he could ignore whatever it was she was going to ask but then she scooted closer and started to _sing_.

“Do you wanna build a snowma-”

“ _Absolutely not_.”

Slumping back in her seat, she huffed in frustration. He almost felt a little bad about it but a moment later, she rose to her feet and walked away, the snow crunching under her shoes loudly with each pouting step.

His heart sank as he berated himself for how he'd pushed her away. Staring at his book, he clenched his jaw, trying to soothe the wound mentally. He’d wanted to be left alone, after all. He’d finally gotten what he wanted, right? There was no reason for him to be so disappointed at her leaving.

And then the snowball hit the side of his face. Hard.

“What the _fuck_?” he seethed, rubbing the icy soreness. He looked over to see Rey gaping at him in shock.

“Oh, shit! I’m so sorry! I- I thought snow was soft! I didn’t realize how hard snowballs are! On TV, they always look-,” her mouth shut with a snap as he stood, bright green eyes fixing her with a look even colder than the snow. And then he bent over and picked up a handful. She watched in terror as he packed it tightly.

He gave her about a second’s head start.

They tore across the courtyard, taking cover behind trees and lobbing snowballs at one another. Another one hit him square in the chest and he swore under his breath again. Her aim was shockingly good.

When he caught up with her, she tripped on a rock hidden by the snow and panic shot through him for a moment before she rolled over on her back, laughing loudly. The sound of her laughter, airy and cheerful, rang through the courtyard like tiny bells.

Her laugh was contagious and he found himself smiling as he leaned over, holding out his hand to help her up. Her mitten met his glove before she grinned up at him impishly. She tugged his arm, bringing him crashing down into the snow beside her.

He grumbled in irritation, wiping the snow from his face as he struggled to sit up in the fresh powder. His mouth opened to tell her off but when he looked over, she was moving her arms up and down as she giggled, creating the impression of an angel in the ground.

His breath hitched as he watched her, heat raveling up from under his coat collar to tint his face. When she’d finished, she offered him her hand again and he took it in his, helping her up as he stood. She looked down at the imprint she’d made with a satisfied smile.

Her hair and coat were covered in snowflakes and her dimpled cheeks were pink from the cold. At least now he knew what she looked like with snow in her hair.

“An angel,” he murmured, before shutting his mouth closed with a click, mortified by the slip.

“Mmhm!” she agreed happily before walking to a thick drift of snow and bending down. She shoved her hands into it and began piling it up. Sensing his confusion, she answered the question on the tip of his tongue.

“Never made a snowman before. Always wanted to!” She beamed at him over her shoulder. He blinked at her a moment before his feet began to move, shuffling closer until he dropped to his knees beside her and started helping her build up a large snowball for the base. She quirked an eyebrow at him and he kept his eyes focused on the snow.

“I’ve never made one either,” he confessed quietly. Thankfully, she didn’t question him further, only nodding with a small smile. Soon, the only sounds in the empty courtyard were the softly whistling wind and the scrunch of the snow being packed under their hands.

“Is it always this quiet here during Christmas?” she asked as they worked.

“Some people _like_ the quiet,” he snorted, “They find it conducive to contemplation.”

She rolled her eyes at him, depositing an armful of snow onto the first layer of their snowman.

“And what do you contemplate, young prodigy?” she asked, lips twitching up into a smile.

“My future,” he answered with a shrug, “University. Where I’m going to do my apprenticeship. I graduate next year.”

“Apprenticeship?” 

“I want to be a barrister.”

“Ah,” she said with a grin. “Let me guess, your father must work in law. All the boys here seem to be going into their family businesses.”

He paused, staring down at the pile of snow they’d made before licking his winter-dry lips.

“Not exactly,” he murmured, “I want to join the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers.”

Rey’s hands paused in their work and when he looked up, she was staring at him with an intense expression he couldn’t quite decipher. 

“What made you decide to do that?” she asked, voice soft as the freshly falling snow. Nervousness welled inside him.

“There are things…no child should live through. The system is broken; disorganized. I just- want to bring order to it,” he replied, warm breath creating a puff of condensation between them in the cold morning air. Rey nodded thoughtfully as she began to roll up the snowman’s torso, deeming the bottom large enough already.

“I’m going to be an artist,” she announced, sounding determined. He smiled at her certainty.

“Why does that not surprise me,” he laughed, digging into the snow to find pebbles they could use for the eyes and mouth.

“I’m going to work exclusively with found objects! I’ll build all kinds of sculptures and installations! Back in Texas, I used to go through scrap, you know, look for anything useful?” She stood and brushed the snow from her knees and he did the same.

He found himself smiling at how animated she became, her face lighting up as she told him all about the little sculptures she’d made before moving to England. But as she placed the second ball of snow onto their snowman, a kind of sadness shone in her eyes.

“There’s lots you can do with stuff no one wants,” she said, patting the snow into place. His gaze flickered to her down-turned mouth and the thought struck him that more than anything, he wanted to see her smile again.

His body seemed to move of its own accord as he stepped forward, reaching out for her…and then promptly slipped on a patch of ice.

She laughed out loud before slapping a hand over her mouth and giving him an apologetic look. He scowled at her halfheartedly, glad she was smiling once more. She placed her hand out to help him up and he figured turn about was fair play.

He pulled her down with him and she squealed, lettingout a torrent of giggles. She retaliated with a handful of snow thrown in his direction and it didn’t take long for them to resume their snowball fight from earlier. The cut out the extra step of forming it into snowballs and resorted to simply throwing handfuls of it at each other.

Rey lifted her arm, a fistful of snow ready to fire, and Armitage grabbed her wrist to prevent its launch. They tumbled around in the snow together, their poor snowman abandoned and only two thirds of the way done.

If anyone had told Hux he’d be wrestling the strange new girl on the snow covered ground this morning, he would tell them to get their head examined. But still, he found himself laughing along with her as they rolled around, hair and coats becoming covered in layers of white, until he realized her laughter had died down.

She lay beneath him, auburn hair fanned out around her head like a halo, her cheeks and the tip of her nose glowing pink. His eyes widened slightly at the picture she made as the sound of his heart pounding against his ribs filled his ears.

And then he lowered himself slowly, inching towards her. Their breath mingled in the air, hot and wet in direct opposition of the snowy hole they’d dug themselves into with their fighting.

All day long, she’d been coaxing him closer, gently persuading him to open up. This time, he made the first move, his lips brushing against hers, light as the kiss of a snowflake landing on her cheek. Her hands found their way to his coat collar, pulling him closer, and he let himself melt into her the way their twining bodies melted into the snow around them.

The cold leather of his glove brushed her cheek and she shivered a little as she opened her mouth, hot and cold sensations mingling as their lips moved against one another. When he pulled back, his eyes fluttered open slowly and he found smiling up at him. He decided he loved the way her honeyed eyes crinkled in the corners when she smiled.

“Was that your first kiss?” she asked softly, grin spreading across her face like butter on warm toast. He’d thought it impossible and yet his face managed to heat up even more.

“Snow time’s over,” he snapped, strands of bright orange hair sticking up ridiculously and clashing with the beet red color that overtook his cheeks and ears.

“Wait!” she giggled shamelessly, tugging him back. “We’re not done with our snowman!”

Grumbling, he collected the pebbles he’d pulled from the snow and pressed them into the section that should have been the middle, giving the snowman a cheery smile where his stomach should have been.

“There. Done.”

Rey gave the short, oddly shaped thing a withering look. It turned out that they weren’t exactly the world’s greatest snowman engineers. But she figured it was alright for a first attempt. The little guy was just…special.

“We need a name,” she hummed, as Armitage hoisted her to her feet, tapping the snow off both their coats. She scanned the horizon before landing on the building closest to them. In large white letters, it read “Brian Boru Hall” and underneath that, “Building 8”.

“How about BB8?” she grinned, removing her scarf and wrapping it around their diminutive creation. Hux gave her an odd look that shifted into a begrudging smile when she hooked her arm around his.

“I’m freezing,” she sighed, “Let’s go in and get some hot chocolate.”

“You can get hot chocolate,” he said with a puff of laughter. “I’ll-”

“I know, I know. You’ll have tea. No sugar,” she chuckled, leaning her head on his shoulder.

As they headed back to the dining hall, arm in arm, he felt an unfamiliar new sense of warmth envelop him. She was right. No one wants to be alone on Christmas. 

And maybe he could make room for one more in his future plans so they wouldn’t have to be anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bit where Hux, a snobby Brit, was offended by a Texan not recognizing snow is a real life experience, LOL. It don't snow here much, y'all, I tell ya what! YEE-HAW!


	6. Traditions (E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sequel to Chapter 1. Christmas one year later...

It had been their tradition for the last three years and one they both looked forward too with great anticipation. To the point that Hux could hardly wait for morning. This year especially.

He’d barely slept all night, eagerness and nerves gnawing at him. Finally, when he saw the first glow of morning sun outside their window, his lips parted in an excited smile.

He looked over to where his girlfriend still slept, her chest rising and falling softly, and he felt his heart swell. Curling around her frame, he drew her close, nosing into her soft tresses and breathing in her sleep warm scent.

“Rey,” he murmured, kissing the shell of her ear delicately, “Wake up, little dove. It’s Christmas.”

She hummed and smiled as she slowly woke, her hand coming up to feel where his arm was wrapped around her center. 

“Morning,” she whispered, voice still thick with sleep. He kissed down the column of her neck, pushing up her sleep shirt to squeeze one of her breasts and sighing at the feel of her, small and warm beside him. Perfect.

She moaned softly as she wriggled in his grasp, feeling his very much awake cock pressed against her bottom.

“Excited for Christmas?” she teased, pushing back into his hardness.

“You have no idea,” he groaned, tweaking her nipple. He sucked at the junction of her neck and shoulder as his large hand moved down her toned stomach to dip into the little shorts she’d worn to bed, all covered in gingerbread men. Her favorite holiday motif.

His long fingers slipped between her smooth folds, reaching down to catch her growing wetness and drag it back up, circling around her clit. Her breath caught and he huffed in pleasure at the tiny sound she made.

She shifted her hips, helping him slide down her shorts as he kicked off his pajama pants. Underneath the heavy comforter, she lifted her leg, hooking it behind his knee and he hummed contentedly against her neck as he stroked his cock through her pussy lips languidly.

There was no way he fucked Rey that he didn’t absolutely love. He loved making her cum when she was riding his cock. He loved fucking her into the mattress, desperate and fast and rough. But he really loved these lazy morning together. The slow slide of their hips under the blankets. The soft noises she made into the pillow as he nibbled her neck lovingly.

Nothing else existed outside of this bed on mornings like these.

His cockhead caught in the entrance of her cunt and he pushed his hips against her plush ass gently, slicking himself with her wetness and sliding in slow until he felt the snug pop of his flared tip inside her. She whimpered high in her throat as he grasped her hip and ground himself into her until he was all the way inside, filling her completely.

Shivering and clutching her tightly to him, his warm breath brushed against her ear, only their faces peeking out from under the comforter. Shifting his hips around, he fucked her shallowly, bringing his hand back to her clit and rolling it between his fingers.

His stubble rasped against her shoulder as he peppered kisses across her skin. Safe and warm and together, her muscles fluttered around him, making him groan deeply.

“Fuck,” he huffed into her ear, his voice low and gravely, “You feel so fucking good.”

She moaned in response, rolling her hips back to meet his as he continued to tease her clit.

“So tight- wet- just for me,” he panted, thrusting into her a little harder and pushing out a gasp from her lungs.

“Just for you,” she murmured back, fingers twisting the sheets by her head.

“Always gonna be mine,” he growled, rolling them slightly so he was halfway on top of her. His pace increased as she whimpered and mewled beneath him, hands scrabbling across the bed for purchase. The new position had her clit rubbing into the mattress and she felt herself getting close, a gush of wetness coating his cock.

He made a grunting noise in his throat at the added slick and began slamming into her, hands coming up to cover her own, pressing them into the bed. With his lips on the back of her throat, he groaned low and rutted into her ass with long, heavy strokes.

“I love you, Rey,” he panted, feeling his balls tightening. She practically purred, arching her back for him as he fucked her. The house was quiet in the morning, most of the city still asleep. Nary a bird chirped outside their window as they filled their bedroom with their moans and the sounds of wet skin slapping skin.

He grunted as the sheets and blankets slipped down off of them from their movements, the cool air meeting their warming bodies. The weight of him on top of her filled her with serene satisfaction. There was an inherent rightness that pulled at her core whenever he took her like this. She felt protected and unconditionally cherished.

“Cum for me, darling,” he gasped as he drove into her, his cock hitting deep with each thrust. Wrapped in a haze of pleasure and drowsy comfort, she pushed back against him as her body seized at his command. A mumbled thread of his name intermixed with curse words ushered forth from her mouth into her pillow.

“Hng- that’s it, Rey- fuck, so perfect,” he hissed. His cock twitched inside her as she milked him with the tremors of her orgasm and he squeezed his eyes shut, fucking her fast and hard. Soon, she drew his completion from him with her body and he bit into his lip as he let out a satisfied moan. 

Emptying himself inside her, the sensation of floating overtook him and he thrust back in again to feel how he’d filled her with his cum, marking her. His. She would always be his.

He kissed her nape, murmuring his love for her and thought of the two of them sitting by the tree later, his cum coating her thighs. He radiated happiness at the idea. Gently, he pulled himself from her, enjoying the feeling his cum trickling out of her. 

He tugged the blankets back over them, the cold quickly sapping their bodies of the heat they’d built up. She turned and snuggled under his chin, kissing along his jaw and feeling contented. Christmas morning was always special for them.

"Happy Christmas," she whispered into his chest.

“Are you ready for your first gift?” he murmured, lips brushing her temple.

“You mean that didn’t count?” she giggled softly, running her hands over his arms idly. He snorted quietly into her hair.

“Look in the nightstand drawer,” he told her cryptically, the corners of his mouth turning up into a gentle smile. She pulled back to look at him with a raised eyebrow before doing as he said, brimming with curiosity. Sitting up, she reaced over to the nightstand.

“Hux…,” she said suspiciously as she pulled a red velvet box from the drawer, “What have you done?”

“Just open it,” he chuckled, sitting up and rubbing small circles on her lower back. She gave him another playfully wary look.

“I told you,” she said as she pulled the top off the slim, flat package, “I have more tennis bracelets than any girl could-”

Her words caught in her throat as she looked down into the velvet lined box. Inside was a faceted crystal Christmas ornament on a silver ribbon. She traced her fingers over the words etched into it.

**“Our First Christmas Together  
-as-  
The Huxes  
.2019.”**

Her throat bobbed.

“I don’t understand,” she whispered. 

When she looked up at him, he was holding up a gold ring with an opal at its center, surrounded by diamonds. He searched her eyes nervously.

“It’s for our tree next year…if you'll have me as your-,” he didn’t get to finish the thought. She launched into his arms, chanting, “Yes!” over and over again between kisses. They sunk back into bed together, lips and hands moving frantically.

The rest of their holiday traditions could wait. He was about to have sex with his fiancé for the first time, sparking a new tradition- Christmas Morning Sex: Round 2.


	7. Cozy (G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter can also be read as a continuation or Chapter 1/ Chapter 6.

The halls were decked with boughs of holly. The stockings were hung by the fireplace with care. The scent of gingerbread filled the house. Snow was falling gently outside. Life was good.

Rey leaned back into her husband’s chest as he pulled the blanket up further over her swollen belly, thumb stroking back and forth over the still small bump. His hand always found their way to her stomach when they were expecting, all throughout the day. It was the only touch she welcomed to her stretching belly- she’d come to find with the first pregnancy that people felt no shame in putting their hands on her without an invitation once she began to show. It was well meaning but still uncomfortable.

That was another one of those many little side effects they never tell you about, along with the constant heartburn, random breakouts, and hot flashes. Armitage had to persuade her into a coat when they went out the other day. It wasn’t her fault her body felt like an actual oven baking her little bun.

There were days it still felt strange calling him “Armitage”. All the while they’d been dating, he was “Hux”. But when she took his last name, they thought it would confuse things. In the end, though, it wound up hardly mattering. The names they used most often were “honey”, “darling”, “sweetheart”.

The log on the fireplace crackled and snapped as she brought her mug of cocoa up to her smiling lips. Underneath the glittering tree lay a rather large pile of presents, courtesy of her husband, who was bound and determined to spoil all three of his girls. After they went to bed, more presents would be retrieved from their bedroom closet and placed among the ones already there, part of the "magic" of Christmas as they'd come to learn as parents.Their two auburn haired angels sat on a pile of blankets and pillows in front of the TV while the Muppets sang Christmas carols. 

“ _She looks just like you_ ,” her husband had told her when their eldest was born. She was born in September but they named her Holly because he’d joked that she was a gift from the previous Christmas. Ivy was born in the fall the following year and Rey sometimes marveled at how she made the exact same expressions as her father. 

They both had their father’s eyes, which she adored, but he insisted they took after her. Still, in the warm glow of the Christmas tree, there was an unmistakable copper hue to their caramel colored hair.

Tonight, they were on their best behavior, still firm believers in Jolly Old Saint Nick, going the extra mile for their annual rewards. Tomorrow, there would be chaos and a mountain of torn wrapping paper and toys.

For now, though, things were blissfully tranquil. Even Millicent was in a cozy mood, all curled up by Rey's feet. Cuddled up on the couch with her husband behind her, laying small kisses on her neck, she couldn’t imagine anywhere she’d rather be.

It was strange sometimes, sort of surreal, how good things were. Neither she or Armitage had ever exactly had greeting card holidays growing up and on nights like this, it was almost hard to believe this was really their lives. For a long time, she wasn’t even sure what “good” meant to her.

The girls giggled at the TV as they sipped their cocoa, being surprisingly careful not to get any on the matching pink Christmas pajamas their father had bought them. They were the only gift they’d been allowed to open tonight and they were adamant about putting them on right away. She’d smiled at how sweet it was.

Her eyes traveled up the tree, looking at all the ornaments they’d gathered over the years. They’d started off all matching a unified color scheme at Armitage’s behest, but once the girls came along, things started to get a little crazy. 

“ _Of course you can get the pink poodle ornament, baby. And the Rapunzel one. A glitter doughnut? Heck yeah, put it in the basket! _” she'd said, encouraging her daughter's Christmas spirit.__

__Mr. Hux pursed his lips and shot her a weary look but his sense of good taste would have to be put aside for the next eighteen or so years. The girls had picked an aesthetic early on and it was best described as Barbie Doll Pink and Disney Princess Sparkles. She laughed a little, thinking about his face when they put up the hodgepodge of ornaments for the first time._ _

__“What’s so funny?” he sighed into her ear, resting his chin on her shoulder._ _

__“Just remembering something,” she chuckled. Her gaze wandered up all the way to the star at the top of the tree. She blinked, licking her lips slowly as inspiration seated itself in her mind._ _

__“What about Aster?” she asked, turning her head a little to look at them. They’d been talking about names a little here and there for a week now but nothing stuck._ _

__“For a girl or a boy?” he hummed, taking her hand in his and bringing it up to his face, kissing the finger that sported her wedding rings._ _

__“Mm. Either?” she murmured back. He seemed to think a moment before nodding decisively._ _

__“I like it,” he said, kissing her temple. Sighing happily, she snuggled up further under the blanket, lacing her fingers together with his._ _

__Yeah. This was good._ _


	8. Family (E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux gives Rey a baby for Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My laptop charger quit working so I had to write this on an unfamiliar computer. Please excuse the errors as they weren't as easy for me to catch and I'm writing like the wind. @_@

“Do you want to open one of your presents early?”

When Rey had asked that, voice sultry in his ear, Hux thought his wife would have walked back into the bedroom in some kind of themed lingerie, all wrapped up for him like a pretty gift with a bow.

But instead, she had a small box. Crouching beside him on the bed, she handed it to him with an excited smile she tried to hide by biting into her lip. 

“What do we have here?” he hummed, amused by her evident eagerness. He removed the lid slowly, enjoying how she squirmed in anticipation. He wondered what could have her so keyed up. 

But whatever he thought might be in the box couldn’t have been farther from what was actually inside.

He recognized the round, pink package right away. He’d seen her with it plenty of times. Usually, it sat in the nightstand drawer on her side of the bed.

“Is this…?” he asked, lifting it out of the box. She nodded and grinned.

“My birth control. Open it.”

He did as she said and discovered it was empty. “Rey, what-”

“I finished this pack last week. And I haven’t refilled my prescription.”

His eyes widened. His pulse sped up. And in a second, he was on her as the empty packet clattered to the floor.

His lips attacked hers as he frantically worked to remove their clothing, the need to feel skin on skin clawing at him. She giggled as he kissed and sucked at her neck. Actually giggled, the wicked thing.

“Do you have any idea how hard I’m about to fuck you?” he panted, hovering over her as she lay fully naked beneath him.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” she sighed blissfully, running her fingers through his hair as he dipped his head down to take one of the hardening peaks of her breasts into his mouth, his hands circling her tiny waist and arching her off the bed for him.

His head swam as he thought of what it was they were about to do, a feeling of total, all consuming warmth blanketed him. The material of his pants was tented so much that it actually pulled away from his hips, cock hard as a lead pipe.

He kissed his way from one breast to the other before trailing down to her stomach, lavishing her flat belly with his affections. With luck, it wouldn’t be flat much longer.

Groaning at the idea, his fingers found the tawny patch of down soft hair between her legs, dipping between her folds. He hummed with pleasure when he found her dripping wet, just as turned on by this as he was. His tongue found her clit as he worked his fingers into her.

“I’ve been thinking about this for so long. _Fuck_ ,” he hissed as she squeezed around his fingers, “Years, Rey. Since before we were married.”

A whimper escaped her throat as she tilted her head back into the pillow, arching her back and bucking her hips into his hand. His other hand came up beneath her hips to support her as he sucked her clit hungrily. Her little fists tightened in his hair and he moaned into her wetness, making her shiver.

“Yes- yes,” she gasped, canting her hips up to his face, “Please. Want it so bad.”

With a growl, he kissed his way back up her body, dragging her slick up along her skin as he went. He replaced his fingers with the tip of his cock, pushing through her pussy lips to get himself wet before pushing in. Pressing his forehead to hers, he sucked in a shaking breath as he slid in, the feeling of coming home settling deep inside his chest.

“Fuck,” he groaned, pulling back a scant inch before slamming back in, “So wet. I can feel how much you want this, Rey. Can feel you clenching my cock.”

She whimpered, any coherent answer dying on her tongue as he huffed into her hair, hips picking up a punishing speed, unable to hold back. One of his hands traveled up to her throat, tipping back her head gently as he pistoned into her. He kissed his way from her ear down her jaw until his lips were moving over hers.

“I love you,” he sighed, his soft, generous mouth breathing the words into her like he was imbuing them with the ability to create life. 

“Hmmph- God- love you- love you, too,” she gasped as he worked her up, the demanding pace he set punching out staccato gasps with every thrust of his hips. As he braced himself on one forearm, the hand on her throat trailed reverently down to her breasts, cupping one lightly to feel the way its soft weight bounced as he rutted into her wildly.

She hooked her ankles around his back as his cock hit a particularly delicious place inside her and a moan broke from his throat at how she fluttered around him in response. Her little hands wandered over the shifting planes of his firm shoulders, down to his chest and he captured her lips again, humming appreciatively.

As she gasped beneath him, the frantic rock of his hips crashing into hers slowed into long, heavy rolls, his cock sliding into her deeply, caressing every inch of her wet heat. Suddenly, he pulled out and rolled her onto her stomach. She let out a happy mewl, knowing she was about to get fucked into the mattress _hard_.

He slid back in with one swift stroke, his cock practically dripping with her arousal. His hands grasped her around her hips tightly, bringing her flush against him. He bent over her, thighs meeting the round curve of her ass with loud, wet slapping sounds as he resumed rough, frenzied thrusting.

Kissing along her spine, his gentle mouth at odds with how he claimed her body, unrestrained and manic in th knowledge of what tonight would lead to. He nibbled from the nape of her neck up to the sensitive spot behind her ear, tongue and teeth sucking and biting until she was a mess of want, her fingers digging into the pillow in front of her. Large, searching hands moved from her hips to her stomach as his front met her back, cupping her lower belly possessively.

“Fuck,” he huffed into her ear, warm breath fanning across her sensitive skin, “I'm going to fill you up so good, darling.” The slam of his cock into her needy cunt punctuated his words and she felt her eyes fall closed as her clit ground down into the bedspread.

“You'll look so beautiful with my baby- _my baby_ ,” he groaned out between gritted teeth. She nodded her head rapidly, the only sound from her parted lips delighted moans. “Going to cum in you, give you every last drop. Is that what you want, Rey?”

“ _Yes!_ ,” she sobbed, cracking her eyes open to peek at him over her shoulder. His bright copper hair swung in his face, jaw set dangerously as he looked right back at her, eyes dark and consumed with need. One of his hands left her stomach to circle frantically around her clit as she felt herself begin to tremble.

“So perfect,” he praised her, voice low and honey-thick, “Going to get you pregnant for Christmas. Give you my baby. Perfect gift for my precious girl.”

His words shot through to her aching core and she tensed beneath him, euphoria blanking out her mind. He whispered words of encouragement- _”there we are, good girl, cum for me_ ”- and they mixed into the swirling bliss that filled her as she came around his cock.

“God, yes- take it,” he moaned low, rutting into her fast and hard, grasping her waist with both of his hands as he emptied himself inside her. Rolling his hips languidly as her clenching muscles milked him of his cum, he let out a deeply satisfied groan, the sigh of air from his lips tickling along her back.

They both drew in heavy breaths as he held her to him, unwilling to pull out just yet as he savored feeling his seed inside her, hopefully fulfilling its purpose for the first time. He nudged back the hair from her neck with his nose as he mouthed at her shoulder. In his hazy bliss, all he knew was _her_.

After a long while, he whispered, “Thank you.” A small smile spread across her lips.

“Thank _you_ ,” she mumbled into the pillow. 

“Heavy?” he asked. She shook her head. He kind of was, with his tall frame, but she enjoyed the weight of him on top of her. Nodding, he pressed his lips to her neck, thinking of how much their lives would be changing after tonight.

“This is the best Christmas gift I've ever been given,” he hummed. She quirked an eyebrow at him over her shoulder.

“I think _you_ gave it to _me_ ,” she corrected. He laughed softly against her skin.

-

A little over nine months later, Holly came into their lives. Rey watched from the hospital bed as her husband held their baby girl, all pink and wrinkled and new, and they exchanged a smile. 

“Holly is such a pretty name,” one of the nurses cooed. “How did you pick it?”

“She's a belated Christmas gift,” Hux replied, smiling down at the first new edition to their little family.


	9. Creatures (E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just...keep writing bugs fucking...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bee!Hux and Mosurey are based on designs from one of my favorite artists, who also happens to be one of the lovely people who organized this event. Please go give her some love. <3  
> https://twitter.com/binarysvnrise

Hux watched as the sun began to lower in the sky. There was a chill in the air, indicating that winter would soon be upon them. 

In another lifetime, he would have the hive to keep him warm and safe through the winter. He would be assigned a mate, just as he was assigned a purpose, like every worker bee. Collect the pollen. Produce honey. Worship the Queen. 

But he had given up that life long ago. Flown from his hive and ignored his genetic code, defying who he was meant to be at the atomic level. He’d become a renegade killer bee, a rogue who flew alone, but had his freedom.

But the frost was on the leaves now. The ground was hardened and he was finding fewer and fewer flowers. And more than that, there was the intense desire to find someplace sheltered and safe and secluded. 

He had searched for many sunrises when one evening, just as dusk approached, he was her for the first time. She was not of his people but she was…magnificent. He’d thought when he left his tribe, he would never serve a Queen again, but he knew in his core from the moment he saw her, a pale blue dot in the sky, that he would gladly lay down his life for her if only she asked.

Tonight was the night. He had waited long enough, agonized over being apart from her far too long already. He waited outside the tiny notch in the tree where she slept. It was dark and warm inside, filled with a kind of soft fuzzy down and a store of pollen rich flower buds. She was so clever, his lovely Queen, building the perfect hive for them.

She arrived, carrying a large berry with her, which she nearly dropped upon seeing him. Her wings beat furiously, the color of the most delicate jasmine blossom, tawny colored dots dabbled all along their edges. The soft ruff around her neck and slender arms and legs excited him to no end. Even more so the sapphire glow she emitted. She was a brightly shining flower he longed to admire for the rest of his days.

She chirped curiously at him as she deposited the berry into her winter stores, poking her face out from behind the edge of the tree back. He approached slowly and carefully, showing her he meant no harm until she backed up, granting him entrance to her home.

He immediately fell on bended knees, taking her delicate hand in his and rubbing his cheek into the soft fuzz along her arm lovingly. She smelled of sweet honeysuckle and gardenias and he couldn’t help when his body reacted, his arousal becoming evident.

She twittered curiously, the fluff around her neck puffing with interest. He stood as she circled him, inspecting him with deep curiosity. She ran her fingers up his stinger and he bristled in shock, his cock only hardening with her unabashed survey of their biological differences.

He couldn’t quite understand all of her little noises. The difference in their dialects made it difficult to know just what she was saying, but he could tell she was at least somewhat attracted to him, studying the stripes of his body keenly.

When she came around to his front, she abruptly smashed her face into the thick ring of fur around his neck, nuzzling back and forth and he felt a deep blush overtake his features as he sputtered in aroused shock.

A thick bead of honey collected at the tip of his cock and he shivered as it smeared across the marshmallow softness of her flat white stomach. She paused in her enjoyment of his fluff and looked down, cooing curiously. He sucked in a sharp breath as her fingers glided along the underside of his pulsing, honey-gold cock.

Hux buzzed, feeling his whole body tremble. _My Queen…_

_Rey_ , she chirped, pointing at herself before turning a pale white finger towards him quizzically. 

_Rey_ , he buzzed back in his heavily accented dialect. _Hux_ , he replied, placing a hand to his chest. She warbled happily before casually running her fingers over the tip of his member, making him jump. 

He oozed honey onto her hand, blood rushing to his face and tinting him from pale orange to bright yellow. She brought her fingers to her mouth, cocking her head to the side. Her antennae fluttered with interest. 

He watched, transfixed, as her little blue tongue darted out to lick up his honey-cum. As soon as the sticky sweet liquid hit her mouth, her wings fluttered excitedly as she looked at him in awe. He could hardly believe it as she ushered him down into her nest, but when his back hit the soft fluff, her pheromones overtook him, sending his head swimming.

Crawling between his legs, she examined his thick length and the golden syrup that poured forth from the tip. Her dark eyes held his as she dragged her tongue up the new and fascinating appendage, collecting his sweet arousal.

She licked her lips, smacking them hungrily. He struggled to make out everything she chirped. _Mate…make food…tasty_.

His eyes rolled back into his head as she took the whole of his tip into her mouth, sucking hungrily. _Oh! Your majesty!”_

Her head bobbed as she slurped around him, blue tint blushing her cheeks. Her tongue explored him covetously as he pumped his honey into her mouth, hands coming up to cup her face in adoration. 

She pulled off of him with a noisy, wet pop, licking up stray honey from around her mouth. She was _ravenous_ and all for him. 

_Hungry here too_ , she cooed, running her honey slicked fingers down to her mound, covered in soft fluff. He stared in reverential wonder as she parted her folds for him, showing him her own wetness. Straddling his hips, she rocked her cunt along his length and his hands flew up to grasp her waist as he let out a broken moan. 

She wiggled around, angling herself over him until she began to sink down onto his cock, honey and slick easing her way. His fingers moved down to dig into the round globes of her ass and with a satisfied hum, she lowered herself onto him until she was filled to her brim, sticky amber coating her insides. 

Below her, Hux struggled not to snap his hips up against her. He’d never known the pleasure of mating and to think that his chosen Queen would ask this of him…overjoyed was too light a word for what he felt. 

She leaned against him, ass bouncing in the air as she wantonly sought out her pleasure. Her fingers reached between them to circle her clit and he quickly replaced them with his own, happy to give his Queen anything she desired. 

He could feel the sticky squelch of his honey-cum being pumped into her, his cock twitching inside her as she slammed her hips down over and over, rocking so that he hit the place inside her that made her moan. 

When she came, eyes closing in bliss, she let out a happy squeal, biting into her lip, and the sound of her cumming for him alone nearly brought on his own orgasm, a new rush of honey flowing into her. He grit his jaw tight as she continued to grind down, rutting her clit against him. A choked groan escaped his throat as she clenched around him, milking him greedily. 

Unable to bear it, he flipped her over, grasping her fluff covered legs in each of his hands and pounding into her tight, wet heat. His wings hummed behind him as he fucked her, murmuring his praise and adulation. She smiled up at him, bringing her hands to her breasts and teasing their tawny brown tips. 

The sight went straight to his cock as he thrust into her frantically, coming deep inside her and filling her with his thick, sweet seed. She rubbed her lower belly with a look of satisfaction, seeming to delight in getting stuffed with his cum. 

He panted and gasped above her, orange hair clinging to his forehead. He pulled his cock from her slowly, honey spurting out onto her stomach and breasts. She dragged her fingers through the mess he made, flicking her tongue out to lick it up with a playful grin. 

He dared to capture her lips with his own, moaning at the taste of his own spend. He knew without a doubt that he would spend this winter and every winter after pleasing her and tending to her needs. 

She was his Queen, and he was only too happy to give all he had. Every last drop. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me for these sins and also not proofreading.


	10. Vacation (M)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas McGregor meets a young tinkerer who soothes his broken heart while on vacation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by an idea the lovely RogueCompanion sent me months ago. Thank you so much. <3

The ski resort came highly recommended. There was plenty to do, including skiing, taking in the village sights, the numerous Christmas shops and eateries. And quite importantly, it was very far from Windermere and the blasted English countryside and rabbits and _women who shouted at you_.

Although, Thomas could admit that perhaps Austria was a poor choice for a holiday when he didn’t speak a word of German.

“Entschuldigung, mein Herr- die zimmer sind voll. _Voll_ ,” the poor boy behind the desk repeated slowly as thought that would help. Thomas flipped through his English to German dictionary fretfully.

“Yes, yes, I understand- _room_. But what’s _wrong_ with my room?”

The boy sighed. “Parlez-vous français?”

Thomas covered his face with a hand and groaned. A small hand landed on his shoulder

“Excuse me? Maybe I can help.”

He turned to see a girl, maybe early, mid twenties. Her hair, the color of a rich cup of dark hot chocolate, was wind-tousled and curled prettily down just passed her chin, not quite brushing her shoulders. Her eyes were the most beguiling mix of green and gold he’d ever seen. Freckles dappled across the bridge of her small, gently sloping nose gave her a bright, youthful appearance, and the pretty bow of her pink, glossy lips stole his breath away.

 _Never_ had he been so struck by a woman.

“God, yes, help me,” he groaned and then quickly entered into a mortified coughing fit, the tips of his ears burning hot with embarrassment. She gave him an indulgent smile and leaned over the counter, exchanging words with the boy in his native language.

His eyes flickered between the two of them as the conversation carried on, trying his best to keep up, and failing miserably. Things seemed alright at first but as the boy turned his computer screen around to show something to the young lady who’d come to his rescue, he saw her eyebrows shoot up.

She grabbed a paper from her bag and pointed to something on it, her voice becoming very insistent. _Well, that can’t be good_.

Finally, the woman he assumed must be the manager appeared and the boy’s shoulders sagged in relief. There was a great deal of back and forth between them all before finally, the girl looked over to him nervously.

“It seems there’s been a booking error with a few of the guest’s rooms,” she said with a heavy sigh. His eyes narrowed in irritation at the resort employees.

“I made this reservation a month ago,” he seethed, “What kind of error?”

“They double booked some of the rooms,” she grumbled, “Apparently, both of ours have already been claimed.”

He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath from his nose. _Don’t scream, Thomas. Remember what your therapist said_.

“Fräulein?” the manager asked, clicking around on the computer screen. The girl turned her attention back and he held a breath in his chest, hoping against hope the problem had somehow resolved itself. He watched as hazel eyes widened and her jaw fell open slightly, face flushing.

“What? What is it?” he asked, eager and anxious. Hazel eyes flickered up to his as she worried at her lower lip.

“Um, they asked if- well, they have a room, you see, _one_ room. The, er, honeymoon suite,” she coughed, suddenly unable to meet his eyes. He stared at her, not quite understanding where this was going.

“..and?” he asked hesitantly.

“Well…look, I came here all the way from London and by the sounds of it, you’re in the same boat. This is my first holiday in God knows how long and it’s right before Christmas and it’s already getting dark out so the chances of either of us finding another place to stay is-”

He stopped her rambling with a raised hand, his brows furrowing together.

“I’m afraid I don’t follow where this is going. There is one room?” he inquired again, hoping to get to the bottom of this.

“They’ve asked if we’d like to share it,” she squeaked, looking up at him through dark lashes. He blinked at her.

“And you- you’re alright with-,” he began.

“I am, if you are,” she answered with a determined breath, squaring her shoulders and nodding.

“Well, then,” he replied, voice cracking. This would be a holiday to remember, it seemed. He held out his hand to her. “I’m Thomas. Thomas McGregor.”

She smiled at him sweetly and took his hand in hers. “It’s nice to meet you, Thomas. I’m Rey.”

Suddenly, he felt as though he were made of snow and the room seemed a hundred times warmer, because he was definitely melting.

The bellhop helped them with their luggage all the way to the top floor and when they arrived at their room, Rey 

The suite’s interior matched the homey, log cabin feeling of the rest of the resort, and it, too, was decorated heavily for the Christmas season. Walking into the living area, he couldn’t help but feel that despite a rocky start, maybe this trip was working out well after all. There was even a large, freshly cut Fir in the corner decorated so neatly he was overcome with a sense of satisfaction just looking at it.

The large windows granted them a spectacular view of not only the mountains but the sparkling lights of the village below and outside, snow fell into a steaming hot tub on their expansive balcony. As soon as his eyes landed on it, he remembered the petite brunette he’d be sharing the spacious accommodations with and felt his face heat up. 

He shook his head began putting his things away in the closet while she inspected the rest of the suite, opening up the cabinets in the kitchenette. A small gasp met his ears and he looked over to where she had stopped at the bedroom’s entrance, stock still. He stepped towards her, concern written across his features.

“What’s wrong-” his mouth snapped shut as soon as he saw what had given her pause. There was only one bed. A very large bed but he supposed there wasn’t a bed big enough to share comfortably with someone you’d only met ten minutes prior.

All around the room, candles were lit, and rose petals had been sprinkled across the bedspread. He huffed, fists on his hips as he looked around. 

“Well, this won’t do,” he announced, clicking his tongue disapprovingly. He walked passed Rey and began blowing out each of the candles.

“Fire hazard!” he grumbled. He then set about plucking each petal from the bed, tossing them in the waste basket. “Messy.”

He heard a chuckle from behind him and looked up to see Rey laughing behind her hand. He returned the smile and together they walked back into the living area. 

“Thanks for that,” she smiled. “That was a bit awkward, huh?”

“I should say so,” he scoffed, “The management should be embarrassed. This will reflect very poorly in my review.”

That sent her into anther fit of giggles, though he didn’t quite know why. Still, he found she was easy to laugh with.

“I’ll take the sofa,” he assured her, pulling a quilt from the back of the tweed couch. “It’s perfectly fine. See?” He toed off his shoes and lifted his legs up, trying awkwardly to arrange himself, though with his height and long legs, it was plain to see it would be a challenge.

“Oh,” she piped up, pointing at the bottom of the sofa, “Actually, I think this may be a pull out!”

She gestured for him to stand and he stood back while she converted the small couch into a much more accommodating bed. He beamed at her, eyes shining with amazement.

“Aren’t you clever?” he remarked with a soft chuckle, genuinely impressed. Her lips parted as a pink hue rose to her cheeks.

“Thanks,” she murmured softly. “Um…I think they’re still serving dinner downstairs. If you’d like to join me?”

“Why don’t we order room service?” he asked, thinking sourly of the crowds sure to be milling about. A restaurant full of families with screaming children and obnoxious tourists didn’t exactly inspire his appetite.

She stared at him in surprise at his boldness before tucking her hair behind her ear and nodding. “Y-yeah, we could do that.”

He smiled as he went over to the phone and picked up the menu, completely unaware of how forward his offer sounded. He took one glance at the inside of the heavy leather book before looking back at her.

“Ah…maybe you had better order,” he said, lips quirking at the corner as he thought of the translation issue from earlier.

“Oh, right,” she giggled, coming over and taking the menu from him.

When the food arrived, he asked if she’d like to eat by the fire, thinking they would move the table over from the kitchenette. She agreed, cheeks turning that pretty shade of pink again, and when she spread the flannel blanket from the bed over the floor in front of the hearth, he found he liked the idea of a sort of indoor picnic with her.

They talked and laughed as they ate, hearty beef stew accompanied by a basket of fresh baked bread and a bottle of wine. There were small plate of regional dishes that Rey encouraged him to try, and he was surprised that he liked quite a few.

“So…I hope you don’t think me rude, but if I may ask, what’s someone like you doing spending their Christmas holiday here?” he asked, pouring her another glass of wine. 

“Someone like me?” she asked with a quirked brow, taking the glass with a nod.

“Young. Pretty,” he said, pushing around the vegetables in his bowl, suddenly very interested in the pattern of the brick on the fireplace, “I would have thought you’d be…well, with someone.” 

“Ah,” she murmured, smile a little sad as she brought the wine to her lips, “Well, that’s because there is no one. Not like that, at least. Or any family to speak of. Some friends of mine were planning on coming here on holiday and at the last minute, they decided to have a good old fashioned Christmas at home, so...I figured Austria alone was a lot better than spending another Christmas alone in my flat.”

“No family?” he repeated, throat bobbing. She stilled and met his eyes, worried she’d just shared too much.

“I mean- I’m the same. I live in a group home after my parents died,” he quickly added. Her eyes widened as she lowered her glass to the blanket beneath them. 

“R-really?” she whispered, searching his eyes. “I…I grew up in foster care. My parents gave me up when I was young. I always thought they’d come back but…,” she trailed off and he nodded, understanding. He placed his hand over hers and thought he saw her shiver at his touch. Her gaze fell to the stern turn of his lips before quickly looking back up at him. She cleared her throat quietly.

“So what brings you to Austria, then?” she asked, eyes sparking with interest. Her smile was back, just a hint of it, but he was glad nonetheless.

“My therapist,” he said with a wide grin before mentally cursing himself and following with, “That is, she recommended I take a trip. Do some sightseeing. I, er, I went through a bad breakup awhile back and I’d just sold my home.”

“I see,” Rey hummed, looking thoughtful as she took another sip of her wine. “Shall we try the sachertorte?”

“I don’t know what that is,” he smiled, “but I’d be delighted.”

They talked until late in the evening, both losing track of the time until Rey glanced over at the clock and saw it was well past midnight.

“I guess I’m not used to the time difference, yet. Still feels a bit early,” she sighed, stacking up the plates back on their trays. Thomas stilled her hand, waving her away.

“I’ll clean up, you go on to sleep,” he said softly. She opened her mouth to protest but he wouldn’t hear it. “I insist. It’s the least I can do after you helped me at the front desk earlier. Besides, tidying up relaxes me.”

She nodded with a grateful smile and collected the blanket, padding softly to the bedroom door. She hesitated a moment, biting into her lip as if there was something just on the tip of her tongue and she couldn’t quite get it out. He inclined his head curiously but whatever she was thinking would remain a mystery.

She settled for a simple, “Goodnight, Thomas.”

“Goodnight, Rey,” he beamed, rolling up his sleeves as he continued to put their bowls and glasses back on the service trays. He went to sleep that night feeling better than he had in awhile.

-

Thomas had fallen asleep easily, but the metal bar in the center of the bed pressed into his back painfully and by the middle of the night, he was tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable. He slept fitfully, unable to find a comfortable position.

As he slept, his mind raced. Visions of large country estates, destroyed by wildlife in brightly colored coats. Garden rakes- a wheelbarrow- _explosions_. The rabbits…rabbits…rabbits….And then, suddenly, Rey’s voice!

“Thomas! _Tom_ , wake up!”

He awoke with a startled cry, gasping for breath. Outside, the sun had risen and shone brightly and he exhaled in relief when he realized he was safe. Nary a trace of dimwitted roosters or small creatures plotting his demise. Then he saw that Rey was sitting on the bed next to him, her hand on his shoulder. 

“Rey! Oh, thank, God!” he exclaimed, pulling her into a tight hug. She gasped deeply, hands raised around him like she hadn’t a clue what to do. When he pulled back, he saw her face was a bright shade of red and her eyes were wide and blinking at him rapidly.

“You’re a human,” he sighed gratefully, still holding her arms. Her brows furrowed in confusion.

“Er…what else would I be?” she asked hesitantly.

“I had a nightmare,” he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. “You were one of them- a rabbit. In a little blue shirt with a fluffy white tail.”

A beat passed before she broke out into giggles. “You’re telling me-,” she snorted, nose wrinkling as her shoulders trembled with laughter, “All that was because you were having a bad dream that I was a rabbit?”

He stared at her until her laughter transformed his deeply concerned expression from one of distress to amusement. In the morning light that streamed in from the windows, her rumpled hair had an auburn hue that accentuated her freckles. He noticed how her cheeks dimpled adorably when she smiled and he felt instantly soothed.

“I- I, uh…suppose that is a silly thing to be frightened of,” he chuckled, running a hand through his dark hair. She smiled mirthfully as she rose, heading back to the bedroom. He took in her pajamas for the first time, just a simple tank top and a pair of grey joggers, but they still held his rapt attention. She paused at the door, turning back to him.

“Um, feel free to say no, but…I was going to go skiing before lunch, if you’d like to come with me. I mean, since neither of us know anyone here,” she said, chewing at her lip, a habit of hers he’d noticed. 

“Only if you let me treat you to lunch,” he grinned, “Besides, I think I’d better keep you around if I have any hope of navigating this place.”

She dashed inside to change before he could see the bright blush that bloomed on her face. 

-

Skiing turned out to be…an adventure. Thomas had never skied before but Rey was a natural athlete. She did her best to help him. “ _Pizza, French fry, pizza, French fry,_ ” she’d repeated patiently, but he still wound up with his face in the snow more times that he managed to complete a run. 

After a few hours of valiant attempts, she suggested they go inside for some hot cocoa and he agreed _heartily_. They had lunch together at the chalet restaurant, conversation flowing easily between them. Thomas told her about growing up on his own and how he’d started working very young and she told him all about the scrap yard she was practically raised in and how she’d scavenge old cars for parts she could find some new use for. All the while, he seemed to hang on her every word, genuinely interested in her life, and she quickly found herself growing even more comfortable with him.

After lunch, he asked if she’d like to go down to the village to see the Christmas markets and she happily agreed. Although it wasn’t very late, the sun was already beginning its slow descent into the sky, tinting the clouds delicate shades of pink and gold. The streets were lined with softly glowing lampposts decorated in lush wreaths. Every building sat outlined against the sky with strings of white Christmas lights. The snow fell more gently here than up on the mountain.

They made their way together through the market stalls and shops, pointing out this or that as they went. There were a thousand sights and a hundred tantalizing smells, each one adding to the feeling of Christmas spirit that rang in the air. Along the way, they sampled Austrian treats from the booths they passed. Some of the vendors even spoke a little English, to Thomas’s relief.

Every once in awhile, he would turn to smile and Rey and each time, she seemed caught off guard by it, either hurriedly looking away or returning it shyly. He hoped it meant that she liked him as much as he was growing to like her. Her company was by far the best part of the trip.

After things ended badly with Bea…he was so certain that would be it for him. Love didn’t come twice for people like him, or so he thought. Until he’d moved to Windermere, his experiences with romance were both lacking and disappointing. Usually, when he met a woman he was interested it, she was immediately turned off by his, well…quirks. Most people tended to talk down to him, thinking he didn’t notice. He thought Bea would be different. She seemed to find him funny and was laid back when he was tense. But after six months together, it became clear she only just tolerated him and expected him to conform to her standards without giving anything of herself in return.

Rey was different right from the start. He really felt like she understood him and liked him just the way he was. He could tell he was already falling. And when Thomas McGregor fell, he fell fast and hard. He just prayed that this time, the fall wouldn’t end in a disastrous crash.

“Oh, look!” she exclaimed, pointing to a shop window. It was a toy shop. He felt his heart leap in his chest. Inside was one of the most captivating Christmas displays he’d ever seen, glowing brightly in the dark of the evening. She put her hand around the crook of his elbow to guide him over and he followed gladly, feeling warm under her touch. 

The store was a marvel of old fashioned toys, animated dolls and trains and animals of all kinds dancing behind the glass. He quickly became just as enamored with the shop as she was and minutes ticked by as they watched the enchanting scene, pointing out their favorite parts and the most interesting toys.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” she sighed, gloved hand pressed to the window. He stole a quick glance over at her face, golden in the light, before looking back to the cleverly arranged display and nodding.

“It’s wonderful,” he murmured, the whisper of a dream forgotten nestling into his thoughts.

They came across an inviting looking old pub and decided to stop in for a light dinner before going back to the hotel. Well, they’d said light, but he was starting to learn that a “light meal” for Rey was a modest three course feast for everyone else.

She ordered them chicken schnitzel with noodles, potato salad, and redcurrant jelly. She got herself a stein of some locally brewed beer and asked if he’d like one, but he declined, not being much of a drinker. Anything other than wine seemed to go straight to his head and he was determined not to embarrass himself anymore after spending the morning rolling down hills with his skis flailing about in the air.  
There was a dartboard mounted near the bar and after a hearty plate of apple strudel, he challenged her to a game. She looked at him skeptically before walking over to the board with him, no doubt questioning his coordination after that morning’s mishaps. But darts was definitely Thomas’s game. He was a master of focus, eye always on the target, and pretty soon he could tell he had her shocked and impressed.

They left the pub with rosy cheeks, laughing back and forth as the snow fell around them. As they waited for a taxi to take them back up to the resort, though, he saw something that made him tense. Across the street, a little girl with chubby cheeks and a cheerful smile was holding out a peanut to a squirrel. It fluffy tail twitched rapidly. It beady little eyes shifted about nefariously. If this squirrel had been human, he’d be a middle aged mad with a five o’ clock shadow and a smoker’s cough. 

Thomas shuddered as the rodent snatched the peanut from the girl gleefully, like taking candy from a baby. Flashbacks to his own previous troubles with thieving animals plagued his mind. From the corner of his eye, he could see Rey frown and follow his line of vision, no doubt trying to see what had him so unnerved.

“Hm. Sweet kid,” she hummed, “I wouldn’t be feeding that squirrel if I were her, though.”

Thomas’s head snapped towards her. “You- you wouldn’t? I mean, you don’t think it’s…cute?”

“I mean, sure, fuzzy animals are cute but I wouldn’t feed a wild squirrel by _hand_. They’ve got all kinds of diseases,” she groaned, scrunching her nose. He nodded his head eagerly in agreement.

“Yes, exactly! Thank you!” he huffed in astonishment.

“Besides,” she added, “Wild animals shouldn’t get used to being fed by humans. It’s just all around a bad idea.”

He looked at her in awe. It was very possible that he was in love with her.

When they arrived back at the resort, he thought they might just go to bed. It was still fairly early but they’d had a long day. Rey surprised him, however, by lingering by his bedside as he unlaced his boots.

“Um, Thomas?” she asked, smoothing down her sweater, although there were no wrinkles. “I was thinking I might take a dip in the hot tub. Would you maybe…want to join me?”

His brain short wired for a moment as he stared at her, mouth hanging open a little. While he struggled to process the offer, she shifted from one foot to the other and rubbed at the back of her neck. Just as she was about to dismiss the idea entirely, he sprang up from the bed, causing her to stumble back a bit as he towered over her.

“Yes- I- Yes,” he stammered unintelligently, not realizing what an odd picture he presented, clutching his boot tightly in his hands.

“Yeah?” she smiled, “Alright then, I’ll meet you out there?”

“Let’s go now,” he blurted out, words leaving his mouth in a rush. She gave him an indulgent look.

“I thought we might put on our swim suits, first,” she said, apparently unbothered by his misstep.

His eyes fell closed as he realized just what he’d said, kicking himself mentally. 

“Right, yes. Of course,” he said, stepping back a little. She smiled at him over her shoulder as she went to go change. He quickly went to the closet, feeling very glad he’d brought his swim trunks. He hadn’t actually planned on using them on this trip but he always felt the need to over-prepare. This time, it _really_ paid off.

He was already in the hot tub by the time he saw her walk out of the bedroom. Whether he was sweating from nerves or the steam, he couldn’t tell. Then she stepped out onto the patio and…

His mouth opened and closed several times. He wasn’t sure he could summon the mental faculties necessary for speech. Her bikini was almost _scandalously_ small, just on this side of managing not to be indecent. The white triangles clung to her supple looking skin, revealing tantalizing amounts of breasts, legs, toned, lean muscle covered in soft, pliant flesh-

He swallowed thickly, chastising himself for his thoughts. He hadn’t any right to _ogle_ the poor girl. Even if her shoulders were dusted with precious freckles, like cinnamon sprinkled over a decadent dessert, begging to be tasted- _STOP_.

She crossed quickly, wrapping her slender arms around herself to endure the cold walk to the tub. As she lowered slowly into the water, he tried very hard to keep his eyes on her smile, although even her sweetly pouting lips were testing his limits at the moment. He was a healthy young man, after all. He had needs and urges. And he wasn’t sure he’d felt quite that way before now.

“Are you alright?” she asked as she settled in beside him, water bubbling around her. Before tonight, it would have been a difficult task to coerce Thomas McGregor into a hot tub. He’d never cared for them. But a hot tub with _Rey_? He wasn’t sure he ever wanted to leave.

“Fine,” he rasped, very glad the water was covering him. He was certain his chest was red as a tomato, though. He could feel the heat crawling up to his ears. She seemed convinced, though

“So, not bad for a first day, hm?” she asked, hazel eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiled at him. She’d pinned her hair up and he longed to tuck one of the strands framing her face back, but not because it irked him. He wanted to touch her because she was _her_.

“It was lovely,” he murmured back, nodding his agreement. Above them, a few stars poked out from behind the clouds as the snow fell, melting into the hot water.

“What was your favorite part?” he asked, clearing his throat and doing his best to seem normal. Or at least as normal as he was capable of seeming.  
“Mm,” she hummed, pursing her lips and scrunching one eye closed as she thought, “Skiing, I think? Oh, no, actually, it was all the food!” She sighed, reclining into the water, thinking back on all the things they’d eaten that day like it was a memory she would treasure forever.

“I agree, that was much better than the skiing,” he snorted lightly, fairly certain he’d wake up a little sore tomorrow. 

“What what your favorite part of the day?” she asked, leaning in closer. _You_ , he thought. He knew the answer right away but bit his tongue before it could escape him. 

“The toy store,” he said after a moment’s consideration. She sat up, looking surprised.

“Really?”

“Yes, really,” he chuckled, “You see…it reminded me of a dream I used to have. More than anything, I had wanted my own toy store. I used to work in the toy department of Harrod’s.” He glanced at her to gauge her reaction and found her listening intently, waiting for him to continue.

“After I lost my job there, I had this plan to sell my great uncle’s house and use the money to buy a shop of my own. It was going to have tempered glass shelving, seasonal window decorations like the ones we saw today. And I would right near Harrod’s,” he said, shaking his head at himself and causing brown strands of hair to fall into his face.

“And I bet your toy store would only carry the best,” she grinned, “And all the displays would be very neatly arranged.”

He laughed softly and looked at her like she he couldn’t quite believe how well she got him. She might be the first person who ever tried.

“So what happened?” she asked, tilting her head at him and encouraging him to go on. 

“I began seeing someone- the bad breakup I mentioned last night? And somehow, she made me think it was…silly, perhaps? A ridiculous plot for revenge against Harrod’s?” he sighed, leaning back so that his head lay against the edge of the tub.

“Was it?” Rey asked softly. He licked his lips as he searched for a way to articulate his feelings.

“Sort of. I mean, there was definitely an element of needing to prove myself. But I really did love selling toys. It was what I thought I was meant to do. Then, I suppose, I just…got off course somehow. I did end up selling the house, of course, but then I just moved back to London without any kind of purpose or direction. Hence, the therapist.” He crossed his arms over his chest as he looked up at the sky.

“It’s not too late, you know,” she murmured, floating a little closer until she was sitting beside him. 

“Maybe not,” he said, pondering the possibilities. “But I think if I were to open one after all, I would want it to be like the shop we saw today. Old fashioned, classic toys that really show off the craftsmanship of toy making.”

She perked up a little, smiling excitedly. “You know, that’s what drew me to that store! I actually love making toys like that!”

His eyebrows rose in surprise as he sat up, brimming with interest. “You do?”

“Yes! You remember how I said I used to like to build things with spare parts as a child? One of my favorite things to do was build toys. After I went to college, it sort of became my hobby.” She shrugged as though it weren’t the most fascinating thing he’d ever heard and _it was_.

“You’re kidding,” he said, drawing in a reverential breath, “Rey, that’s amazing! _You’re_ amazing!” 

She grinned and flushed at the praise and tried to wave away his flattery.

“No, really. You- you should come work with me,” he said, eye blazing with inspiration, “I’ve just decided. As soon as I get back to London, I’m buying that shop!”

The way he’d said it, so determined, made her think that as crazy as it was, he might just be serious about it and she couldn’t help but smile along with him, his energy infectious.

“Rey,” he murmured, taking her hand, “Thank you. I don’t know if this is strange to say, but…I think this is the best Christmas I’ve had since I was a child.”

When her mouth slotted softly against his, he couldn’t contain the gasp of surprise that slipped from him. It quickly grew into a grateful moan as her hands found their way into his hair. Feeling bold, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his lap. 

“Don’t sleep on the pullout tonight,” she panted when they finally separated for air. His brow wrinkled as he struggled to keep up.

“But where will I-”

“With me, Thomas.”

He felt the blush that’d been working its way across his features slowly finally succeed in completely covering him from ears to chest.

“ _Oh_ ,” he choked out.

They stumbled back into the suite, just managing to shut the sliding glass door as they backed up into the bedroom, unwilling to remove their hands or mouths from each other for too long. He stubbed his toe on a side table as they went but barely even felt it. He didn’t even mind when they left their wet swim suits in puddles on the floor.

At 32, Thomas was definitely not a virgin, but having sex with Rey made him feel like maybe he was because if sex was supposed to feel _this good_ , he wasn’t sure he’d ever had it. Even during his longest relationship, he never quite felt comfortable letting go. He was a…very intense man, to say the least. And deeply passionate.

But he’d always toned himself down before, afraid of being too rough, too demanding. Rey broke him of that fear, coaxing him into giving up his control and letting his emotions and needs and desires dictate his actions.

After the fifth…possibly sixth time they made love that night, he lay in bed feeling as though he’d been changed on some fundamental level. His hair stuck out in every which direction. His chest and neck were covered in bruises and love bites. And he was laying on sweaty sheets, limbs still tangled with his new lover’s.

He’d never felt more alive.

And when she kissed him sweetly just below his jaw, yawning and curling up next to him with a softly whispered, “Goodnight, Tom,” he knew he’d never felt more serene, either. 

-

They parted ways four days later at the airport. He held her tightly to him and promised he’d call as soon as he arrived back in London. She was booked on an earlier flight. 

When he smiled and waved as she boarded the plane, she told herself not to get her hopes up over this. They’d shared a room and ended up shagging as the rom com gods demanded. They’d shared one beautiful Christmas but that was it. Plenty of people had torrid affairs while on holiday but they never lasted past the arrival gate.

He wasn’t even her type, she insisted, scolding herself mentally for the tears she could feel building behind her eyes. The moment they met, his painfully preppy wardrobe and haircut had firmly disqualified him for romantic candidacy. 

And somewhere along the way, she’d convinced herself it was fine to admire his soft looking lips, his piercing green eyes. There was nothing wrong with looking. But then he had to go and be so kind and sweet. He had to have a dumb, beautiful dream about owning a toy shop for Christ’s sake. And now she was holding back tears as she looked out the airplane window.

The flight home seemed to take twice as long as the trip there. As she shuffled down the aisle with her backpack slung over her shoulder, she dug around into her coat pocket to retrieve her phone. She turned it back on, preparing to text Finn and Poe that she’d made it back safely and would be waiting for them in baggage claim.

But then the little text notification in the corner caught her eye. She had six messages from an unknown number.

**Rey?**

**This is Tom.**

**Thomas.**

**McGregor.**

**From the honeymoon suite.**

**I couldn’t wait to talk to you. I had some trouble getting my phone to work here so I hope these messages go through. I’ve been thinking about the toy shop. I found a store for sale online, it’s not near Harrod’s but I think you’d like it. I’d like to talk with you about it over dinner whenever you’re available.**

****

Raising a hand to her lips, she let out a teary laugh, her heart warm and light.

He arrived for dinner at her flat just two days later with a bouquet of roses. He told her about how he’d been looking for business properties for rent around London and the little storefront in Picadilly Circus that he’d found while she cooked them an enormous meal. She showed him some of the toys she’d tinkered on and her designs for others. Immediately after dessert, they did a repeat performance of their awkward backwards tango to the bedroom.

A week later, he took her to the shop, explaining animatedly just where he’d put everything and she found herself having to interrupt him every couple of minutes to plant a kiss on his lips.

They opened McGregor’s Toy Emporium later that year, just a few months before their wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't check this at all and will probably come back to edit it later but it's 8 AM and I haven't slept. Whoops.


	11. Fireplace (E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey gives Hux that Good Squeeze for Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is super late. I was determined to finish Reyuxmas before Christmas was over but come 11:00 Christmas night, I knew I was defeated. 
> 
> And then I woke up on the 26th with the flu from hell. So I've been recovering from that and dealing with medical bills. Ugh.
> 
> Anyway, hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday season. <3

Hux sat on the old, comfortably worn sofa with a cup of freshly brewed tea, the fireplace crackling in front of him. The cozy log cabin was quite the departure from his and Rey’s own home in the city, but she loved coming here in the winter and he discovered early on in their relationship that he couldn’t deny her anything.

The logs snapped and cracked, the roaring fire heating the cabin nicely, even in the cold winter weather. But as comforting and attractive as the fire was, his eyes remained fixed elsewhere. He sank further into the blanket he’d wrapped around himself, bringing the soft flannel fabric to his nose and inhaling deeply. _Alpha_.

From his place on the couch, he could see right out through the window where his mate stood over a growing pile of logs. The ax in her hands swung down in a large arc over her head, splitting the wood in front on her with a heavy thud. He scratched at the itching gland under his jaw.

He was close. Very close. 

Heats spent with Rey were always the picture of bliss to him, but he had to admit, he the ones they spent here were particularly pleasing. It felt secluded. Quiet. Safe. It scratched an itch in his animal brain he rarely gave in to. 

In the corner of the room, a tree she’d cut the week prior glittered beautifully, all covered in tinsel and ornaments and ribbon. Carefully wrapped packages lay nestled beneath its branches. The nest of blankets and pillows and soft things he’d spent all morning arranging _just so_ , however, was an odd addition to the peaceful mood. It whispered lewd things. _Heat_. _Knot_. _Please, Alpha, let me make you feel good_.

He shivered, despite feeling a rush of warmth, his cock twitching in his pajama bottoms. They were horrid, covered in gingerbread men and candy canes, but Rey bought them _for him_ and had scented them _for him_ and they smelled _nice_.

There was another thud as the ax met another log, splitting it down the middle. The wiry muscle of her arms rippled beneath thick plaid fabric. He tugged his lower lip between his teeth as he watched her. 

He ached to get out of his clothes. He needed to feel the air on his skin. To feel _her_ on his skin. He was sure a wet spot was forming on the crotch of his pants and a growl broke from his throat as he held the blanket tighter, breathing her in.

Finally, she wiped her sleeve across her brow and trudged through the snow to small shack where she hung up the ax. He felt his cock pulse in anticipation. He dropped his cup of tea onto a pile of books by the side table lamp, knowing it would go cold and not caring in the least.

When she appeared in the doorway, arms full of wood and snow covering her hat and her shoulders, he immediately stood, abandoning the blanket he'd swaddled himself in. She smiled brightly as she began dropping the logs she'd chopped onto the pile by the hearth. 

“Hey, baby, how’re you feel-,” her words died in her throat. She tensed, going quiet as the scent hit her nose, the last of the logs falling from her hands and clattering to the floor. And then the layers that had been keeping her warm in the snow began to fall alongside them.

Hat, gloves, scarf, jacket…slowly, she peeled every last stitch of fabric off of her body, kicking off her slush covered boots in the corner, uncaring of the mess she tracked in. Normally, he might have grumbled at the brutish gesture, but his mind was wholly preoccupied on one thing. He needed his Alpha’s knot.

Her nipples pebbled in the air, skin going all gooseflesh without the warm fleece of her clothing to cover it. But he would keep her warm. So, so warm. His body felt as though he were laying directly inside the crackling fireplace, burning hot with desire.

She took his hand and pulled him from the sofa and he melted into the nest like a peaches and cream colored puddle. Her hands were rough as they tugged the clothes from his body, cold fingers making him jump with anticipation. His ridiculous pajama pants joined the other soft things in the nest.

Her skin against his was like a balm, soothing, cool. In his heat dazed mind, he could practically see steam rising from where they touched, her hand trailing up his reddened chest to the gland on his neck, stroking softly and eliciting a whimper. Her fingers twined into his hair, pulling his head back to expose his jaw, snowy cold in a mess of flame colored strands.

When her mouth met his aching gland his green-grey eyes fluttered shut behind pale lashes, pink bitten parting quietly. His hands came up to grasp her strong thighs as she straddled him and he groaned gratefully. This. This is what he lived for. Safe and warm and loved underneath his Alpha.

Her lips, tongue, and teeth worked to tease and soothe him. He felt feverish, hot and dizzy as he bucked his hips blindly, cock leaking generous globs of his arousal, his body preparing itself for her. 

“Ssh,” she murmured, rubbing her cheek against his and covering him in the sweet headiness of her scent. Honey. Fresh apples. Spice he could taste on the roof of his mouth that warmed like bourbon when he swallowed. Undeniably Alpha, undeniably Rey.

“I’ve got you,” she whispered as she kissed every inch of his smooth jaw and neck, nipping his mating mark tenderly to say _you’re mine, I’m yours, I’ll never let you go_. He groaned low, fingers digging into her hips. She shushed him sweetly, fretting over him as she nosed under his jaw. “I know just what my Omega needs.”

Her cunt slid over his length and his every nerve stood on end at the intoxicating feeling of her wet folds parting for him. The snug stretch as she lowered herself onto him had his eyes rolling back and she purred in deep satisfaction.

“I can _smell_ how much you need this, baby,” she moaned, wriggling her hips back and forth as she took him into her tight heat. His fingers scrabbled against the smooth skin of her back, needing her to be as close as physically possible. She could melt into his body and it wouldn’t be enough.

“Saw you watching me from the window,” she huffed as her clit finally brushed his pelvic bone, “Were you thinking about me fucking you?”

His throat bobbed as he swallowed a needy sound, biting into his lower lip. Slender fingers traveled across his chest as her hips rose and fell again, his mate riding him slowly, achingly hot and soft so, so strong- for him, just for him-

“Alpha,” he rasped, mind too far gone to do anything but beg her for her knot. She tweaked the peaks of both of his nipples, letting them pucker in her palms as she leaned over him for balance and began fucking him in earnest, giving in to his demands.

“So sweet for me, Omega,” she purred, the praise going right to his cock. He gasped and panted as he bucked up into her wildly, letting himself get lost in her words. Sweet was not a word Hux would normally use to describe himself. His colleagues at work would probably prefer “pragmatic", "calculating", "shrewd". In short, he was a dick. But here, in the snow-capped mountains, spread out in his nest in front of the fireplace, with his mate split open on his cock, he could absolutely be sweet. He’d be gentle and soft and oh, so obedient, just for her.

He could feel her tightening around him and his heels dug into the mess of blankets below them as her movements grew heavy and purposeful. His hands moved, trembling, up to the small, bouncing mounds of her breasts, squeezing them tightly. She arched back with a happy sounding rumble and his gaze fell to the place where their bodies met rhythmically. They were both _soaked_.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he gasped as he hit the spot inside her that had her clenching down on him. She moaned in agreement.

“So- so perfect, made such a perfect little nest to fuck me in," she keened as she rocked back and forth. Her hands covered his larger ones and shakily, she brought one up to her lips. He stared in awe as she licked up the length of his fingers before sucking two into her mouth.

His hips stuttered and he sucked in a harsh breath at the sight, feeling the first insistent tendril of his building orgasm shoot down his spine. She made obscene noises around his fingers, coaxing and tempting him towards completion as she sucked them and he quickly moved his other hand down to tease her clit.

"Please," he groaned, working her frantically as she slid up and down his cock, "Rey- _please_." Her muscles squeezed him in reward and she released his fingers with a wet pop, her voice breathy and low as she stared down at him with eyes blown nearly black. 

"Oh- my good boy," her words came out in huffed little pants, a rambling train of thought spilling out as her rut hit her full force. "Pretty mate. So good for me, fucking me so good. Gonna knot you. Want you to cum in me. Can’t wait to fill this nest with your _pups_.”

Her chest met his again as her teeth pierced the throbbing place on his neck where her mark declared him as hers and his jaw fell open in a near silent, joyful cry. Endless ropes of thick, hot cum flooded into her just as her knot popped around him. The tight ring of muscle milked him steadily, her body too greedy to give up a single drop as it tied them together. 

The flickering shadows from the fireplace caused light to burst behind his eyelids as he slid into a state of boneless bliss, drenched in their combined slick and covered in his mate’s scent. Rey’s tongue laved across the bite, soothing the tender skin as well as her mate. She shifted above him and he shook in her arms as her knot tugged another spurt of his spend from his body.

When his eyes finally flickered open slowly, he was met with the sight of the wooden beams of the log cabin ceiling, and a deeply penetrating sense of home. His arms wrapped around his mate's middle as he turned to nuzzle into her chocolate colored waves, breathing her in and rumbling contentedly. Hux would die if she ever let anyone know how he purred for her like this but without fail, he still found himself cooing and humming at her every time he was in heat.

“Pups,” he murmured sleepily against her ear. Not a question, really. Just repeating the word. She pulled back a little to look at him, wide hazel eyes quietly inquisitive. She wasn’t one to blush easily- typical proud Alpha- but he saw she was blushing now.

“A dozen, at least,” she whispered back before burying her face in his neck. “All redheaded, freckle-faced terrors.”

The Omega in him radiated pure, unfiltered pleasure and he chuckled at the thought as he pulled a heavy blanket over them. In a rare move for Hux during his heats, he flipped them so that she was beneath him. Her ankles locked behind his hips and he began showering her face and neck with kisses, bringing a smile to her face. 

They had maybe twenty minutes before he was begging her to fuck him again. A log on the fire popped noisily. In a little while, she would slip out of the nest to put another on and to bring over some food and water to have handy, but for now, he wouldn’t let her out from under him for anything. She giggled as he kissed and nipped at her gland.

In the back of his mind, the thought occurred to him that with his heat, they might not actually get around to opening their presents or doing any of the things they’d planned come Christmas morning. But that was fine. The presents could wait until New Year’s, if they had to. He’d be far too focused on giving Rey a houseful of pups.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. an extra special thank you goes out to the wonderful readers who have been so generous and encouraging in the face of the NSFW crackdown. Y'all are angels.

**Author's Note:**

> [12 Days of Reyuxmas](https://reyuxmas.tumblr.com/)   
>  [My tumblr](https://hattoripornzo.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> If you like my writing, please consider supporting me this holiday season. <3


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